Unintended
by Miss Soupy
Summary: AU. Orihime never expected herself to be of interest to one of the largest technology companies in the world, HM Global.  The beginnings of an all-out technology war changes her path abruptly and forces her into the hands of people she considers enemies.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a mulit-chapter AU fic I have been working on for over a year (though sometimes very very slowly).. Anyways! I have most of this fic written already, so I hope to be posting fairly regularly depending on the availability of my beta 3

A little background: The story revolves around three companies; Karakura Inc., Soul Systems, and HM Global (I'm sure you can guess which side is which, hah). Soul Systems and HM Global have an intense rivalry over technology, with Karakura Inc., a small company, somewhere in the middle. What Karakura Inc. does have is some interesting new talent as well as some interesting new technology, which has HM Global and Soul Systems vying for the control of.

Oh yes, and of course, this fic is very much UlquiHime :3 I will be following some basic canon points but most of the story is of my own imagination. I hope you enjoy!

(I do not own Bleach, etc.)

Ch. 1

She stood looking out of her office window, a pane of glass that took up most of her wall. Her expression was pensive, though slightly strained, as she studied both ends of the horizon. On one end loomed a dark metallic building, all smooth and sharp angles as it towered loftily over all other buildings. Its size was unmatched, in fact, save for one other: one lone, opposing tower, its height kissing the clouds themselves. While the first was black and square, the other was bone white, and its edges were smooth slopes. It reminded her of a castle in the sky, the peak of its tower seeming joined with the atmosphere. But it also seemed cold, she thought. Its unassuming white appeared an illusion of the eye in the wrong sunlight. The sun was gone now, however, and it stood framed in the eerie pale blue lights that lined the building. Looking further out, flashes of lightning lined ominously dark thunderhead clouds.

"Ah, looks like a storm is coming."

Her shoulders had tensed at the sound, but she knew who it had been and turned to see her friend and colleague, Ichigo Kurosaki, walking leisurely into her open office. He stopped next to her and looked out at the horizon with a frown pulling at his face, his hand idly running through his messy orange hair. Thankfully, the darkness in the room hid the blush that had crept upon her cheeks.

"Y-yeah," she sighed, following his gaze, "I hope it won't be too bad."

"At least this building wasn't built up so high. I don't think I'd stick around in one of those others with a storm like that on the way." His eyes shifted towards the dark building on their right and she looked up at his face.

"I'm sure Kuchiki-san will be alright. Soul Systems is pretty well protected, isn't it?" She smiled then, and he looked down at her with a frown. "I mean, it was sort of difficult for us to break in!"

Ichigo allowed himself to look crossed as he remembered. "Eh! They would go to that much trouble keeping us out when we just wanted to help. Those stuck up-"

"Ichigo, Inoue, I think Urahara wants to see us."

They turned to see their quiet friend, Sado Yatsura standing in the doorway.

"Oops!" Orihime exclaimed, her eyes wide as she moved towards her friend, "I forgot! Thanks for reminding us, Sado-kun."

After giving one last glance out the window, Ichigo joined them, and the three left the office.

"You know, it does feel really nice to be back," Orihime said thoughtfully, looking around the floor that had become like home to her. It was funny that she felt this way now, and she realized she had really taken the building for granted before.

"Mm," Sado replied, nodding his head slightly. "I wonder, though, just how long this lull will last."

Ichigo glanced at him and shrugged, "Yeah, but what can we do? If HM Global comes after us, then we will have to defend this place again. There is no way I'm letting Aizen push everyone around."

"True. No doubt Soul Systems is already preparing as well…"

Orihime allowed herself to fall behind the two, and as she came up to a familiar office, she slowed and stopped before it. The door was closed, so she knocked a few times and then turned the handle.

"Ishida-kun? There is a meeting."

Uryuu Ishida looked up from his computer screen to see her peeking through the door.

"I-Inoue-san," he said, startled out of whatever he had been doing. "Right, I almost forgot."

As Orihime watched her dark-haired friend shut down his computer, she couldn't help but notice he looked slightly distraught, though over what she couldn't tell. His face seemed paler than she remembered, but then she too probably didn't look the best. Not after everything that had happened recently.

Moving back into the hall, she waited as Ishida locked up and joined her.

"Oi! Hurry up, we can't hold this elevator forever!" Ichigo called from up ahead, and the two hurried to join them.

Ichigo tapped the button for the highest floor, allowing Ishida barely any time to get in the elevator before the doors closed.

"I thought you said the Quincy were the fastest!" Ichigo laughed, seeing Ishida's death glare sent his way.

"Damnit Kurosaki! Did you leave your brain at Soul Systems?"

"No, but you almost left your arm behind," Ichigo shot back, still grinning while Sado and Orihime just smiled, bemused at their usual antics.

"I was being polite by allowing Inoue-san to get in first, something you wouldn't understand!"

"That's not-" Ichigo began, but his smile quickly fell as the elevator jumped, causing its occupants to smash against the walls and grip the bars tightly. There was a creaking noise, another jolt of the compartment, and then the elevator shot up like a rocket. For a few seconds they felt weightless, but with another thud of the machinery, the elevator stopped without warning and sent them all crashing to the ground. With an innocent _ding_, the doors eased open revealing all of them lying in a pile on the floor.

"What the hell," Ichigo moaned, trying to remove Ishida's foot that had lodged itself against his face.

"Owww," Orihime held her head, sitting up and then taking Sado's arm when he reached to help her stand.

"Hmm, it seems like it needs some work!" An odd looking man in a pinstriped suit was walking towards them, a fan fluttering near his mouth, though it was unable to conceal his smile.

"What the heck is wrong with you? Damn pinstripe-wearing insane inventor," Ichigo was muttering, finally standing upright.

"Oh Kurosaki-san, you know my inventions are all meant to do good!"

The four of them gave their boss, Kisuke Urahara, a skeptical look as they entered the room and took seats at the long conference table within, Urahara taking the head seat at the table.

"Ah, it's nice seeing all of you back here again," a female voice said, and they all looked up to see Yoruichi walking into the office, a small smile tugging her lips.

"Yoruichi-san!" Orihime greeted, happy to see her again. The woman took a seat next to Urahara at the head of the table and laced her hands together.

"Though you look a bit banged up, heh."

All of them grimaced while looking pointedly at Urahara who pretended to look at the ceiling. "My my, it looks like we are in for some bad weather! Well, I don't plan to keep you long."

Sitting back against his chair, he looked at each of his subordinates in turn before speaking, "I'm sure you all know that even though you managed to make it back here in one piece, we aren't out of trouble quite yet. Both Soul Systems and HM Global are no doubt busy making preparations for what will, I believe, be an all out war against one another. There is a lot of hurt pride over at Soul Systems, and as you know, Sousuke Aizen aspires to great things himself."

Worry fell upon Orihime's face, and she couldn't help but glance out the window at the high white tower that was HM Global.

"Aizen now has full control of the company, and he will be able to work much faster towards his goals."

Ichigo, who had been leaning back in his chair, arms folded behind his head, let his chair legs drop with a sudden thud. "And what is our role in this?"

It was a question they had all be thinking secretly, and Orihime saw the others stiffen apprehensively.

There was a pause, and then, "To protect this company, of course. I have no desire to get you involved for any other reason than that. I don't want you to pay for my mistakes anymore than you have to."

Ichigo smiled at the man who had given him a start and replied, "Eh, we would do that anyways, right?"

"That's right!" Orihime replied enthusiastically.

"Ah," Sado also confirmed.

Ishida was silent as they looked at him and then abruptly stood. "I…" he hesitated a moment before going on solidly, "I'm afraid I will have to step down from my position and cease all involvement in this company."

Shock sprung upon their faces as they looked at Ishida while Ichigo stood as well. "What are you talking about Ishida? Why do you want to leave?"

Ishida glanced at the orange-haired man, his eyes steady at he replied, "It is none of your concern, Kurosaki. I have thought about this ever since returning."

"Ishida-kun…" Orihime voiced, disheartened at the thought of one of her precious friends leaving. It had been her hope that once they returned things would go back to normal. Now, suddenly, it felt like everything was falling apart again, and her face fell at the notion.

Ishida glanced her way but quickly averted his eyes. "I have to do this."

"Are you sure, Ishida-san?" Urahara voiced, looking at him. "You know, even though this company is small, we have many resources you could utilize to-"

"I'm sure," Ishida broke in, cutting Urahara off.

He wouldn't quite look them in the eye, and Orihime's heart stuttered at the thought that their close-knit team would be one member short. Glancing over at Ichigo, she saw he seemed unwilling to give up from the hard searching look he was giving their friend.

Urahara however beat him to the punch. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that, Ishida-san, but of course we will all respect your decision." He offered Ichigo a pointed look before continuing, "At least join us tomorrow night for the celebration. It is for all of you, after all."

Ishida hesitated only a moment before inclining his head slightly.

With a huff of resignation, Ichigo slumped into his chair and Ishida stiffly sat as well. Orihime looked between them and sighed. There was still the party, she knew, and Ishida wouldn't really be gone forever. Even if they didn't work together, they would all still stay close. She was sure of it.

"Good!" Urahara sing-songed, and the tension was finally broken as they all looked back at their boss. "Of course I'd hate to see you all moody at the party because of this. I've gone above and beyond for you!"

Ichigo's brow ticked. "Above and beyond," he muttered, "As if it wasn't deserved for cleaning up your mess."

Urahara feigned hurt at his words. "Now Kurosaki-san, you know you are all quite dear to me! This is being done out of the goodness of my heart-"

"Yeah yeah!" Ichigo slid his chair back noisily and stood, effectively deciding for himself that the meeting was over. The others, quite used to such events, stood as well.

"Thanks for this, Urahara-san! It's going to be so much fun," Orihime smiled, wanting to be more polite than her hot-headed colleague. She gave a small wave to Yoruichi before following her friends out of the office.

Urahara slumped in his chair as Yoruichi offered him a smug look.

"Those kids really grew up fast, didn't they? You must be proud." She teased, poking him in the shoulder.

Sighing dramatically he replied, "I wasn't prepared for it…but they have been through a lot, so I shouldn't be surprised. Ichigo won't be taken lightly by anyone now."

"Do you think he realizes how much more dangerous his life has just become?"

Urahara looked thoughtfully out at the stormy weather. "I think he has some idea. But not even I can guess how things will end up." He frowned at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. "And, I feel, it will not only be Ichigo who will have a target on their back. They will all have to stay diligent."

Amber eyes watched him closely. "When do you think Aizen will make his move?"

He paused, his eyes sharp behind his hat. "Soon."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

A white expanse of table stretched out before them, its glossy finish revealing the mismatched faces of its occupants. They sat quietly, aside from a sip of tea, and they were positioned in every fashion from stiffly rigid to nearly dozing. The only empty seat left was at the head of the table, and many found themselves glancing at it from time to time. It was a rare moment of silence within the conference room, one that was soon shattered by a loud yawn and a fist banging against the table.

"How the hell long do we have to wait here?"

"As long as it takes."

"You think I was talking to you, bi-"

"Ahh, how long was I out?"

"Sometimes I envy your ability to fall asleep in any situation…"

"He's just lucky he isn't female...heh."

"Disgusting."

"Shit, I'm out of tea!"

"You could have mine."

"Like hell I'm going to trust _that_."

"What the fuck are you looking at punk?"

"Wish it wasn't your ugly face!"

"What did you-"

"Greetings everyone. I thank you for your patience."

Everyone's head lifted and silence fell around the room immediately as a man entered and took a seat in the vacant chair. He smiled at them, his deep brown eyes shining with honesty. But he held the aura of authority, of power, and everyone in the room felt deep within their bones that he was a dangerous man. But so he should be, as their leader. They would not follow anyone worth less.

A fresh cup of tea was poured for the man, and he soon thanked and dismissed the servant. The clinking of metal on glass was heard as he stirred in his sugar. Still, the others dared not move.

"I must say, it certainly feels good to be here officially. I hope you all find this arrangement comfortable enough."

Here some nodded, eyes darting around the newly furnished room. It was all white and full of curves and big spaces. It was meant to make one feel small. Their white uniforms blended in with the upholstery as if they could disappear into the furniture and never be seen again.

"Now gentleman, and lady," he added giving a nod to the one female participant, "Allow me to congratulate you all on your position. Make no mistake - you are here because you are the best. With your unique gifts and my leadership, HM Global will surpass all of its competitors." He laced his hands together, that same smile still in place while he looked at each of them. "Soul Systems will crumble before us, and we shall stand above all. That is guaranteed to those who follow me." He raised his cup and took a delicate sip. "So, with that in mind, will you follow me, my Espada?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama," they replied as one, their voices resolute, and the man raised his cup to them.

"Very good. Then we must waste no time. War is already upon us, so we must be the ones to make the first strike."

"So we are going to attack Soul Systems?" One asked, intrigued at the potential of destruction.

"Actually, I believe it would be more meaningful if we attack the heart of our opponent directly." He replied cryptically, causing confusion to spread across the faces of the rest.

"The heart?" Another asked, his voice betraying nothing while his bright eyes watched their leader keenly.

"Mm, yes, the heart. You see, our dear friends at Soul Systems have long since hardened themselves. But they have a new ally, young and fresh. They have not yet lost their humanity to a corporation. They are the heart, and it is there that we should strike. I am under no disillusion that they would not aid Soul Systems, if need be, which automatically makes them our enemies."

"Who is it?"

"Karakura Inc."

"Those flies?" A gruff voice asked.

His voice was filled with amusement as he replied, "Do not take them lightly. They were able to completely infiltrate Soul Systems and clear Rukia Kuchiki of all charges. Of course," he added, his voice light, "they are no match for us. But I am lenient, and I believe it only fair to offer them one chance to align with us or suffer the consequences."

"They shouldn't be given a chance, Aizen-sama. Let's just take them down now." Blue eyes flashed dangerously as he looked to his leader.

"Perhaps," Aizen entertained, but quickly shot the man down. "But I believe we can afford to give it, Grimmjow. It will also be something of a test, if you will. There is information that could be gathered still, before they are completely wiped from existence."

Reluctantly the man relented, looking away so Aizen wouldn't notice his distaste, "Yes, Aizen-sama."

"Do not worry, my Espada," he said calmly, his hand sweeping towards them. "As long as you stand beside me you have nothing to fear."

He smiled. None could look him in the eye, not because it wasn't true, but because of the irony of the statement.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Heels clicked rapidly against the pavement as two girls hurried down the sidewalk.

"Damnit, I knew we'd be late!"

"D-Don't worry Tatsuki-chan! I heard it's good if you are fashionably late to parties-ack!" Her heel slipped and she stumbled, but Tatsuki caught her and hoisted her back up. "Aha! Thanks!"

"No more of that, Orihime. You'll ruin your shoes." There was amusement in her voice, even as she dragged her friend along to the parking garage elevator.

"I won't be sad at all if they break. They hurt!" she gasped, almost slipping again as they rushed inside. With a quick tap she pressed the button for the first level. "Besides, I'm just going to take them off when we get there."

As soon as the door opened they scurried through the door and down to the crosswalk. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?" she pouted, brushing her hair out of her face as they waited for their signal. "It's my party isn't it?"

Tatsuki's smile grew, linking her arm through Orihimes as they crossed the street. "Only partially. Besides, how will you dance with Ichigo without any shoes on?"

At that she paused, her cheeks reddening at the thought. "Well," she started, exasperated, "How do you know I will dance with him at all?"

"Don't you want to?" her friend prodded as they neared the door, reaching to yank it open. Once inside they smoothed their hair and dresses before continuing on down the hall.

"Um…I-I hadn't thought of it." She replied, shyly, causing Tatsuki to smirk. "I'm just excited to be together with everyone again."

Thankfully, Tatsuki decided to drop her teasing and the two walked through the lobby and headed in the direction of the attached restaurant located on the first floor. Usually it was open to the public, but for tonight it was reserved specifically for the employees invited to the big celebration.

"Tessai-san! It's good to see you again," Orihime beamed as they approached the entrance to the restaurant.

The mustached man peered at them through his lenses before his eyebrows rose dramatically. "Orihime-chan! I'm so happy to see you returned safely." The large man pulled out a clipboard and thumbed through a list, making two marks on it. "Ah, Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa, please come in and enjoy yourselves!" With a dramatic motion he waved them in.

"Wow, they really fixed this place up," Tatsuki commented, surprised at the complete makeover the place had received for the event. Streamers covered part of the walls, and decorated the tables while candles were lit throughout to give a homey feel.

Bouncing on her toes, Orihime swept her eyes around the room lined with long tables dotted with sparkling lights and flowers. Music played softly as some people swayed on the dance floor.

"Inoue-san, Arisawa!" Someone called from a table nearby and the two girls made their way over.

"Keigo, you actually look somewhat decent for a change," Tatsuki said dryly, looking at him and then nodding to Mizuiro.

"He tried his best and this is all he could do," Mizuiro added with a lamented sigh causing Keigo to whine.

"Eh? You jerk!" he cried dramatically, looking helplessly at Orihime. "Inoue-san, do you see how they talk to me? So cruel."

She smiled, her eyes crinkling. "That only means they are really good friends!"

"Speaking of which, where is Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked, looking around.

At that, Keigo began to look gloomy and pointed across the room. "He's in a mood. Some weird guy has been talking to him."

Looking over, they noticed a blonde haired man with a wide grin talking to their friend who looked less than happy about it.

"Who's that?" Orihime wondered aloud, causing the others to shrug.

They watched as Ichigo waved his hand, annoyed, and walked away from the blonde. Deciding that something might be wrong, she broke away from the others and moved towards the opposite side of the room. During so she paused, sensing a familiar presence, and turned to find Ishida sitting at a table by himself.

"Ishida-kun!" She exclaimed with a smile. "I'm glad you decided to come."

"Ah, Inoue-san, hello." He said, somewhat surprised by her sudden bubbly greeting. "What are you up to?"

"Oh, I was just going to investigate! There was a strange man talking to Kurosaki-kun and I got worried. He didn't seem very happy about it."

Glancing over her a moment, he looked over to where the blonde man had been moments before.

"He's gone…" she said, surprised when she saw no trace of either him or Ichigo within the restaurant. "Maybe we should do something!" She had said it so adamantly, her tone brave, as if she could fly in and make everything alright.

Discomfort flashed across Ishida's face a moment, discomfort mixed with guilt. But then his face hardened, and she looked down at him worriedly as he said, "I'm sorry Inoue-san, but I can't get involved in this any further." He pushed his glasses up and moved back from the table to stand. "Whatever Kurosaki is dealing with is beyond my control."

Her face fell. "Yeah, but…we're his…"

Ishida didn't let her finish the sentence. "I have already sent in my resignation formally. As of now, it no longer concerns me."

She didn't know what to say; words had left her completely, and instead an incredible emptiness constricted her heart. Ishida, she found, wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Sorry," he said again, looking anywhere but her face. "If you would excuse me…"

And he left. She watched his back retreating from her, his steps so incredibly even and his back so stiff. Orihime found she couldn't move from that spot, and it wasn't until a hand touched her arm did she blink and look away.

"T-tatsuki-chan, Ishida…he-"

"I saw," she told her. "I don't understand that guy…but I'm sure there is something up with him. It isn't like him to just forget about his friends, right?"

Orihime nodded, orange hair floating past her cheek as she did.

"Then he must have something he needs to sort out with himself right now." Tatsuki confirmed with a nod. "He'll be back when he is ready, so don't worry too much." She gave her arm another squeeze for encouragement and Orihime smiled once again.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Ishida-kun does care. I know he does."

"Right," she agreed, then gave her a nudge with her elbow. "Pssst, look. It's that guy again." Pointing over to where the blonde man from before had reappeared.

"Oh!" She gasped in a whisper, huddling closer to Tatsuki as they watched.

"Listen," Tatsuki began, as they watched the man help himself to a glass of wine. "You keep an eye on him. I forgot my camera in the car, so I'll be right back."

"Alright!" she said, saluting as Tatsuki waved.

_Tatsuki-chan left this party in good hands_, she thought gleefully, slinking over to stand closer to her target. _Little do they know I have been cultivating my ninja skills in secret_…

She had been watching intently when a shadow fell over her. Straightening, she leaned back to stare up at the looming face of Sado.

"S-Sado-kun, you scared me!" She righted herself and turned to him with a smile. "One more moment and you could have been taken down by my karate skills!"

As predicated, Sado was silent, offering her a disbelieving look before inclining his head. "He is leaving."

She turned suddenly to see the strange man walking away, his cellphone pressed tightly to his ear.

"We have to hurry!" She called, moving to follow, Sado moving after her. They followed him down the hall and saw him disappearing through the front revolving doors.

"Hey!" she called loudly as a cab pulled up to the corner.

He turned, a wide grin on his face as he looked at them coming towards him. "Aren't you Inoue-san? I feel like… I've fallen in love for the first time…"

Just then the cab door opened and a blonde girl with pigtails grabbed the man and forced him inside. He seemed to put up a fight, wriggling around and yelling as she tugged him in.

"Shut up, idiot!" she screeched, before reaching over and pulling the door shut. The cab then pulled away, merging into traffic and sped off.

She and Sado stood dumbfounded, watching as the yellow vehicle disappeared from view.

"I wonder who they were…" she voiced, confusion evident in her speech.

She was only left a moment to wonder, however, when a deafening sound and intense pressure forced her down to the ground. She gasped, frightened, her hands flying to her ears. The scent of burning rubber filled her nose and glass pieces plinked down onto the sidewalk and road. Traffic came to a screeching halt as screams filled the air.

"Damnit, what was that?" Sado grunted, moving to hook his hand under her elbow to help her to her feet. Her ears were ringing, but time seemed to begin flowing again as she looked up to where smoke was billowing out of the parking garage roof. Her eyes widened, horrified as she realized.

Tatsuki had gone back to her car.

* * *

><p>AN: I promise things will pick up soon, this is somewhat of an introductory to the story. Please review!

And thank you wonderful beta!

-Miss Soupy


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

"Tatsuki-chan is there!" Frantically she ran towards the crosswalk as Sado called for her to wait. When she wobbled and almost fell, she leaned down to pull off her shoes and cast them away. In that moment, nothing else mattered. She raced across the street, Sado not far behind. She could hear her heart thundering in her chest and feel her mind reeling, panic dominating her thoughts.

Not wanting to risk the elevator, she rounded on the stairs, bounding up as fast as she could. Finally, she reached the roof, throwing the door open to the frightening scene before her.

There were bodies strewn about, and several cars were on fire.

"Tatsuki-chan!" she screeched in horror. Her friend was suspended by the neck, a huge hand clamped around her throat. One of the biggest men she had ever seen turned to look over his shoulder, a feral grin spreading on his massive face.

"What do we have here?" he called, tossing Tatsuki to the side like a rag doll. She slid across the hood of a car and crumpled to the ground.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sado grip his fingers into a fist.

"Sado-kun…" she voiced shakily.

"Go tend to the wounded; I'll take care of him."

As he ran forward, she turned and moved to where Tatsuki was lying in between two cars.

"Orihime," she gasped in pain, blood matting her hair. "You have to get out of here."

"Shh… I'm going to help you Tatsuki-chan, don't worry." She wished she had sounded more confident, but it was the best she could muster as she brought a shaky hand up to her metallic flower-shaped hairpin.

"Souten Kisshun," she commanded, the voice activation triggering her invention. Two small pieces broke off of her tech, floating towards either end of Tatsuki's body. Then, with a silent flicker, a thin orange light appeared, connecting the two points, hovering over her friend.

"Is this the one, Ulquiorra?" she heard the large man call in his boisterous voice. Quickly, she swung her head around to look between the cars and saw that there was indeed another man, partly blocked by the larger man. She couldn't hear his reply, but a moment later she jumped as Sado slammed into the hood of the car next to her.

"Sado-kun!" Moving away from a more stabilized Tatsuki, she widened the radius of the waves coming from the points of her hairpin and stood to turn towards Sado.

"Heh, you're next." The big man threatened with a grin, watching her with greedy eyes as she stood in front of where Tatsuki and Sado lay.

She was finally able to see the other man. He was much smaller, his face serious. His skin was pale, almost the same shade as his impossibly white suit. His dark hair stood out against it, but even more vivid were his intensely green eyes and the trails of turquoise face markings that ran down his cheeks, almost as if simulating tears. Her first impression of him was that he was surely some kind of cold robot.

"Santen Kesshun," she whispered, causing her hairpins to light up against her head. A moment later, three more pieces fell away from her tech, and a transparent triangle shield appeared in front of her. It was a shield strong enough to keep any normal human at bay, but as quickly as they had taken care of Sado, she knew, with a pang of fear, that these were not mere humans.

Undeterred, a large hand slammed through the shield, breaking it easily to grab her and pull her away. She gasped for air, clutching at the giant fingers.

_They have been enhanced…humanoids…_

"Is this the one, Ulquiorra?" The giant man asked again, grinning at her as if he already knew the answer.

She turned her head slightly, looking out of the corner of her eyes at the other, staring into his green eyes. For a brief moment he considered her, their eyes catching on one another, but his slid shut. "No, she's just trash as well."

"Heh, just fine by me," he boomed, raising his fist to hold her until her feet dangled below her.

"Inoue…" she heard Sado mumble below, attempting to sit up though the healing wasn't complete.

Green eyes slid in his direction, watching critically as he struggled up. He narrowed his eyes, as if the scene didn't make sense to him. She looked back at the other man, missing as his eerie eyes flicked back up to look at her curiously.

"K-koten Zanshun…" she uttered as her hair pins flashed red. The last piece of her pin was activated, leaving its docking point against her hair to float before her. It became engulfed in a red stream of light, causing the large man to look down cross-eyed at it. From the spot, a beam of red light shot towards the mans large head. He cursed and dropped her to the ground where she gasped in pain from the impact.

"Fuck, what was that you bitch!" He yelled, rubbing his forehead that was now singed, but mostly unharmed.

_I have to…protect them_, she told herself inwardly, struggling to stand but failing.

Her head felt fuzzy now and black spots appeared in her vision; she had hit it against the concrete when she was dropped. The big man was back, rounding on her, hand gripped in a fist ready to crush her into oblivion. Her vision swam and darkened and she dropped helplessly down. The last thing she knew was a voice roaring before she passed out.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

She awoke with an intense headache but otherwise found she was able to sit up. Looking around the room, she recognized she was in the medical ward at Karakura Inc. One of her arms was held in a sling and her head was bound. On the nightstand next to her bed she found a glass of water and some pills, which she immediately took, hoping they might relieve that which felt like a jackhammer against her skull. Next, she noticed her hairpins set neatly on a pillow beside her, and she took them up. Her heart fell. One of her pins was cracked; she knew by looking that the piece dubbed _Tsubaki_ would not work. She would need to repair it. Her spirits fell even further as she recalled what had happened. Her only offensive move hadn't been effective in the slightest. Repairing it would only do so much, and she was left feeling somewhat empty.

"So you're awake," a voice at the door commented, and Orihime looked up to see Yoruichi standing in the doorway.

"Y-Yoruichi-san…how is everyone?" She asked immediately, her heart flying to her throat.

"They're alright, don't worry. How are you feeling?"

She sighed in relief, a hand pressed to her heart as she collected herself. "Alright…my head hurts but…I'm fine." She managed a crooked smile. "Where is everyone?"

Yoruichi jerked her head towards the door. "Down the hall. You feel up to coming with me?"

The other woman didn't have to wait long for Orihime was already rising to her feet, using her good arm to boost herself up to stand.

"Mm!" Orihime confirmed, following as Yoruichi led her out and down the hall. They entered a smaller conference room where Ichigo, Sado, and Urahara were all settled around the table.

"Inoue-san, I'm glad you are alright," Urahara spoke, his eyes appearing briefly beneath his pinstriped hat.

She nodded slightly, then looked over to Sado, her face falling at what she saw. "Sado-kun…your arm…" It was heavily bandaged and also in a sling. It was worse though, for him. She could heal her arm with her pins, but Sado's arm, which was mostly robotic, could not be healed in the same way. His greatest weapon had been broken, much like her _Tsubaki_. The team had suffered quite a loss, and it only felt worse when she looked over at Ichigo. He didn't seem able to look anyone in the eye, and she wondered at that.

Sliding into a chair, she watched him carefully and then voiced quietly, "Kurosaki-kun, were you the one who saved us?"

He was staring unblinkingly at the projector while he voiced a hoarse, "No."

Orihime blinked, surprised. She had been certain that the voice she had heard before falling unconscious had been him. Why was he acting so detached? Why was he so upset?

"Kurosaki-san surely did his best against those two," Urahara voiced, slicing through the sudden silence in the room. "The larger man was certainly enhanced quite a bit. Even for us it was difficult. Things ended in a draw, to say the least. But thanks to Kurosaki-sans efforts, we were able to collect a sample."

"Sample?" Sado asked, his eyes covered behind his wavy bangs.

"Oh yes," Urahara smiled. "Kurosaki-san was able to cut off the larger mans arm. It is being analyzed right now."

Orihime was reminded of the feeling of suffocation, the feeling of helplessness as a giant hand squeezed her throat closed. She had to stop herself from touching the spot.

"Ah Tessai, finished already?" Urahara voiced as a large man with spectacles entered the room, handing a jump drive to the blonde. The lights flickered off as a large hologram projection appeared in the center of the table. Orihime felt her heart rate quicken when she recognized who appeared before them.

"The large man, we gathered, was called 'Yammy'. We were unable to find any records of him, though we only know his, I believe, first name. Besides his larger than normal size, he appeared to have a tattoo of the number 10 on his forearm. The sample I spoke of happens to be his arm." Urahara said in a light voice, as if it were nothing out of ordinary, yet Orihime couldn't help but swallow. The image flickered into what was undoubtedly an arm, sliced just below the elbow.

"I found the skin to be of the same toughness as iron," Tessai was saying, his glasses shielding his eyes. "Very resistant to damage. The cells have a slightly enhanced repairing capability. Their cell to cell signals travel faster than normal." His voice got low. "There is no doubt that this is an enhanced humanoid."

The image flickered again, and Orihime was able to view a small scene of what had transpired after her collapse. The large man, Yammy, had collected energy at his fist and released it at Ichigo.

"Their systems can create concentrated energy quickly, directed as a ball of light that is capable of doing quite a bit of damage, as we found out first-hand. Their senses seem to cause significant increase in reaction time."

"In other words, their entire body is a weapon," Yoruichi said, her eyes sharp as she watched.

"Yes," Urahara confirmed with a nod. "In contrast to members of Soul Systems, who have been slightly enhanced yet rely more heavily on high-tech weaponry, these humanoids rely on their body. While they both carried swords, neither of them drew it."

They nodded absently, watching the projection flicker to show the other man. His face revealed nothing; he seemed almost bored as he stared back out at them. As if they, to him, meant nothing at all. The only words she had heard him speak were of her, calling her trash.

Biting her lip, she watched as the image of him moved as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"This one was called Ulquiorra. He appeared to be the one in charge, though he mostly observed from afar. The only skill he revealed was the ability to effortlessly deflect an attack. By this, I assume him to have the same type of skin, and also to be the stronger of the two. It was he who ordered the retreat after we arrived."

She glanced at Ichigo, whose eyes were downcast, watching the image flicker unmoving. She wanted to tell him it was ok, that he had done his best, but the words wouldn't come. All she could do was watch, helpless, knowing she was unable to reach him. She, in turn, turned her eyes down as well until the sad man in the projection finally flickered out.

Urahara looked at each of them, taking in their serious expressions before uttering, "This is no doubt the work of Aizen. It is obvious now that he had been cultivating these warriors in secret even as he worked for Soul Systems. Their appearance is too much of a coincidence for any other explanation." He sighed then, leaning back in his chair almost impassively. "Ah, I had hoped he would wait a little longer before making his move."

"What should we do, Urahara-san?" Orihime asked, curious.

He leaned against the table, his hands folding in front of him, eyes shadowed ominously. "My previous decision remains. We protect this company."

She and Sado glanced at each other, as if sharing the exact same worry. They would need to hurry and repair what had been broken. And even more important was to make sure that it never happened again. Within her, she felt the usual fear, that she wouldn't be good enough, but she swallowed it down. There was no time for such fears.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

He watched them all lean back reluctantly, not wanting to let their guard down around those they did not quite trust, yet also not able to disobey the command of their leader. It was a rare moment for him - he the sole being with his eyes open, his green orbs moving from face to face. Finally they fell upon their leader, but he never allowed his eyes to linger there. He felt, somehow, that Aizen would know, would feel his gaze. Deep down, he knew he feared the moment that those dark brown eyes would open and look straight into him and perhaps see his very thoughts.

_Nonsense_, his mind whispered as he collected himself. Such fears were pointless. What thoughts could he contain that would anger Aizen? He followed orders thoroughly. He honestly was no threat to the man. He simply existed.

Finally, he closed his eyes and focused on his memories, selecting ones he felt were pertinent to the matter at hand. When he had finished, he reached and removed his eye from its socket, holding it in the center of his palm. His fingers clenched together and the device smashed, transmitting his memories directly to the members in the room.

"We chose the parking garage across the street to begin the attack. Yammy caused destruction there and threatened the bystanders. This drew the attention of more people, as expected." He explained smoothly, his voice holding no emotion as he spoke. "Two arrived with techs and confronted us. I identified them as members of Karakura Inc., but neither was our chosen target."

Events passed quickly in his vision. This showing was less about detail; Aizen would get his own copy to watch as his leisure. The others just needed a sample in order to placate their egos and to pique their curiosity.

"Sado Yatsura attempted to use his mechanical arm but was quickly rendered useless. The female, Orihime Inoue, used her own tech as well but was also unable to harm Yammy." Ulquiorra found himself focusing on the girl again.

This, while intriguing to him, was not interesting to his brethren, he knew. But she, having the ability to reverse damage, was different.

"These attacks brought out the target, Ichigo Kurosaki." His visions now focused on the orange haired man, and he could feel the room stiffen. They were paying attention now. "He was angered by the suffering of his comrades and answered Yammy's challenge. He even succeeded in cutting off his arm with his sword." There was a snicker and a grumble from the table. "Shortly after, however, he seemed to lose his nerve, and Yammy was able to damage him. It was then that Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihouin appeared. From there, I deduced that the mission had been completed and initiated retreat."

The replay stopped, and Ulquiorra held out his hand. The particles reformed again at his palm, and he pushed his eye back into its socket. Everyone else had opened their eyes.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra," Aizen smiled, and Ulquiorra lowered his head.

"Feh, should have killed him while you had the chance." An annoyed voice spoke, and all eyes snapped to Grimmjow.

"You disagree with Ulquiorra's judgement?" Aizen asked, still maintaining his unnerving smile.

Grimmjow was silent, unwilling or unable to look his leader in the eye. Such a gaze was crushing.

"Fear not," Aizen soothed. "Trust in your comrades' judgment as I do. Together, we have nothing to worry about."

Pale blue eyes stared intensely at the table before them. After it was obvious Grimmjow would no longer be speaking up, Aizen spoke again. "I am pleased with this initial show of power. Now Karakura Inc. understands clearly that they will not be allowed to sit idle. Predictably, they will bulk up their defenses, and Soul Systems will have no choice but to offer protection. I am finalizing further plans against Karakura Inc. and Soul Systems. Rest assured that our next steps will be something neither will be able to predict."

Ulquiorra looked passively at his leader, wondering what said plans might hold. Truthfully, he saw little reason to keep Karakura the center of attention, yet Aizen seemed to feel they were of great importance. Karakura Inc. was full of nothing but misfits that attempted to mimic the power of the humanoid soldiers of Soul Systems and HM Global. There was little chance that they could ever achieve the same heights, so it made little sense to focus on them.

Even he could admit, however, that there did seem to be strange techs within the small company. One specifically had stood out to him, though initially he had thought perhaps it was because he hadn't been able to define it. Bright orange hair and wide brown eyes appeared in his mind. That human girl, Orihime Inoue, had used a device to piece together flesh. Such an ability confused him. While there were many ways to enhance healing, they all utilized the body's ability to heal itself rather than external methods. Her technology involved influencing a body she had little knowledge of, perhaps even at long-distance. The ability to control someone else's own functions seemed both extremely dangerous and intriguing.

Refocusing on the discussion, Aizen seemed to be dismissing the Espada. Seeing his leader catch his eye, Ulquiorra hung back until everyone was gone. As Grimmjow left, Ulquiorra didn't miss his lingering, pale blue eyes. He knew something was up, and regardless of his anger over being told off, he was curious. Green eyes closed indifferently. He was not about to be egged-on or brought into needless fights. Aizen's ruling was final.

"Ulquiorra, I just want to commend you on performing your job thoroughly." Aizen complimented, the door closing shut with an echoing _chink_. They were alone.

"Thank you, Aizen-sama," he replied politely, inclining his head.

These were but formalities. Ulquiorra knew Aizen's praise was merely a method of control. Most would love to hear praise from someone they viewed as extremely powerful. But he was different. He cared not for superficial praise. He simply completed what was asked of him. Because of this, he felt he was most likely one of Aizen's most trusted followers.

"I am curious, though," he said lightly, his fingers tapping against his high-backed chair. "Do you also find something interesting in this encounter?"

Ah, it was a test. His mind swiftly clicked through the possibilities of what Aizen could possibly mean. The intense devotion? Ichigo Kurosaki's range in ability? Or something else…

Green eyes met brown, and Ulquiorra's fingers twitched faintly.

"The girl. Orihime Inoue."

Aizen smiled. So, he had been right.

"I have not seen a technology quite like hers. It interests me."

Ulquiorra slid his hands into his pockets. "It was indeed unusual, being able to stimulate cellular repair from the outside, and on a human, no less."

Aizen nodded. "Such ability is quite advantageous, especially in a time such as this." He smoothed out his hands, before leaning against one. "While you were the only one willing to undergo the Rapid Cellular Regeneration experimentation, I still feel it unfair that the others cannot be provided with more comfort. We are at war, and as such there will be damage done to us. It would be a waste for warriors such as yourselves to sit idle when measures could be taken to ensure continued vitality."

Ulquiorra nodded, signaling he understood, and Aizen went on. "I have taken great steps in the nature of self regeneration, but the world of invoking it outside of the source is not as familiar for me. She could be useful here, especially if these abilities were cultivated towards our purposes. Don't you agree?"

Another nod. "If you believe so, Aizen-sama, then yes."

His leader straightened with a smile. "I'm sure you yourself can judge the other benefits this would provide us. We would be further weakening what I call the 'heart'. Notice that one of their members is missing. Uryuu Ishida is no longer employed there. What kind of blow would it be to take yet another piece of their power away from them? To have the heart shatter even further."

Ulquiorra blinked at the reference to the 'heart'. If Karakura Inc. was indeed of great importance to Soul Systems, then crippling it would indeed be useful. "Yes, Aizen-sama."

"I trust you understand what I am asking of you, Ulquiorra."

"Yes."

Brown eyes glinted. "Good."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"Activate program: Koten Zanshun," she commanded, her eyes steadily watching the monitor before her. Code streamed down the screen, and she watched it carefully, looking for anything that could be changed. Ever since her failure at the parking garage, she had been working hard to find ways to improve her tech. Her offensive system was in particular need of repair and improvement. It wasn't what she usually spent her time working on, but currently, both the hardware and software were experiencing too many bugs. Well, in actuality, the hardware was busted.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she added things and removed pieces of code here and there.

"Nothing left to do but try…" she mumbled, looking down at her tiny flower-shaped technology. "_Please, please, please!"_ she prayed inwardly before whispering, "Koten Zanshun."

Her tech flashed red, as it was supposed to, but then instead of a laser forming together, smoke began spewing from it before it sizzled and stopped responding altogether. Flailing her hands around, she tried to disperse the smoke before it set off any detectors. The last thing she needed was to set off the sprinklers… _again_.

She wheeled herself back in her chair and slumped in defeat. It was looking like it would be another long night. Orihime didn't mind too much, though. She lived alone, so it wasn't like she had anyone waiting up for her. The people she loved were employed at Karakura, so it really was like a second home to her. And, on top of that, as long as she stayed busy, that forbidden word _useless_ could be kept at bay. Her worst fear was being unable to help.

At least she still could use her other two programs.

"I just need to stay positive!" she told herself, poking at her hairpin shaped tech and finding it cool enough to touch.

Just then, a message popped up on her screen. It was a summoning from her boss, Urahara, requesting a meeting.

Pocketing her tech, Orihime made her way over to the elevator. On her way, she passed Ichigo's office.

"Oi, stop moping already! Now that a bunch of us are stationed here, there shouldn't be a problem like that again."

"Kuchiki-san!" Orihime exclaimed, recognizing the voice and popping her head in.

The short girl was perched on Ichigo's desk where she seemed to be giving him a pep talk.

"Hey Inoue!" she called with a smile and a wave.

Orihime smiled. "It's great to see you again!" Her eyes then fell on Ichigo and her smile faltered. He looked upset.

Rukia hopped off the desk. "Yeah, I'm all recovered finally. Just in time too, it seems." She eyed the bandages still wrapped around her head. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh! I'm fine," Orihime said, waving her hands in attempt to assure her. "J-just a few bruises…"

Ichigo, who had been watching, averted his eyes.

"Don't worry," Rukia soothed, her eyes confident. "Next time you won't be alone. Renji and I, along with a few others, are stationed here for the time being." She looked over to Ichigo and continued, "And next time, he'll be even more ready."

Orihime offered a small smile while Ichigo looked steadfastly at his computer screen.

"Oh, um! I almost forgot… I have a meeting with Urahara-san!"

She backed out of the office, bowing slightly apologetically. "I'll talk to you later, ok?"

Rukia leaned back against Ichigo's desk and nodded. "Sure thing. See you, Inoue!"

"Later, Inoue." Ichigo offered, finally able to speak.

As she left down the hall, she heard Rukia whispering fervently. She felt her heart twinge painfully. Ichigo had seemed so lost… and she hadn't had anything to offer him to help. Orihime's eyebrows furrowed worriedly as she tapped the elevator button. What could she say? Ichigo was leagues ahead of her in ability and performance. She had so much work to do if she was going to be of use to him.

She stepped in the elevator, forgetting her previous experience when it had rocketed them up without warning. There was a shutter, and Orihime suddenly clung to the bars, expecting the horror to begin. But instead the elevator headed up at its normal speed. Regardless, Orihime didn't relinquish her hold on the metal bars until the doors coolly slid open.

"Urahara-san?" she called tentatively, peaking into the training room. There were no offices on the 5th floor; instead, it was used for the testing of new techs or the improvement of older ones.

He was watching as two people practiced with their weapons.

"Inoue-san, thank you for coming," he said politely, motioning her in. Standing next to her boss, she saw that Sado was clenching his mechanical arm experimentally.

"Oh, Sado-kun has fixed his tech already?" she gasped, surprised at how fast he had repaired it.

"Yes, he has been working hard and it has paid off. I asked Abarai-san to be the guinea pig for him." Urahara chuckled lightly, and Orihime saw a familiar red spike of hair. So Rukia had spoken the truth. They were under the protection of Soul Systems now.

"Mm…I saw Kuchiki-san was here too. It's nice seeing everybody again…"

Finally, Urahara turned to look at her, though his eyes were shadowed by the brim of his characteristic hat. He noticeably looked to her hair which was absent of her tech.

"I take it you are still having problems fixing your tech," he stated, and Orihime felt nervousness settle in.

"Y-yes, well, it was more damaged than I thought. B-but I'm not giving up! I will work late to make sure it is fixed soon."

He was silent for a moment, as if deliberating. "About that…I have decided that, given the circumstances, perhaps you would be of better use perfecting your other programs."

She blinked, not understanding. "You mean I shouldn't fix Tsubaki?" she asked tentatively. Certainly he wouldn't tell her that…

Urahara glanced away. "I think that compared to the other offensive capabilities at our disposal, you needn't worry about offensive programs for the time being."

"B-but, I…" she stuttered in shock.

"Furthermore," he went on, his voice hard, "I think that you might be of more use in online defenses only."

At this, Sado had looked up in shock as Orihime stood there, numbly. "What are you saying?" her friend interjected, obviously upset. "Inoue is one of us. We need her-"

"Inoue-san is a clever girl, yes, but she would be better put to use doing other things. Soul Systems is backing us now. Their 4th division will be more than enough for repair and medical treatment. And there are others that can provide adequate defense. That is why I have decided to move Inoue-san down a floor where she can be more of a behind-the-scenes backup rather than an active one."

She stood, trembling, and her heart felt like it would explode out of her chest. Urahara should have just told her straightforwardly that she was incompetent at her job; it was clearly what he meant to say. Her tech weighed heavily in her pocket. It was her pride and joy, and yet, in a matter of seconds, it was torn down into meaningless trash. How foolish she had been to consider herself part of the team.

Crimson hair fell with her bowed head, shielding her face. "I understand," was all she could choke out before she turned and fled from the room. Her heart thundered in her chest as she took the elevator down, and tears were wetting her cheeks by the time she stepped off onto her floor.

She rushed past offices, unseeing. Orihime thought she heard someone call her name, but she didn't react to it. Not until a hand was on her wrist pulling her to a stop.

"Inoue! …Inoue?" It was Rukia, her voice soft having caught a glimpse of her face. "What happened?"

For a moment she stilled, and then she attempted to force a watery smile onto her face. She shouldn't worry. Rukia didn't need anymore problems to solve. "N-nothing, r-really. I just…just-"

Rukia's fingers tightened. "Inoue, don't lie to me. Now…what happened?"

There was no hiding this time. Her mask fell, and hurt shone in her eyes as she replied softly, "I was demoted. Urahara-san removed me from the team." Her pins felt like lead in her pocket as she admitted the truth. She felt she had truly let herself down.

Rukia's anger was quick. "What? How _dare_ he!", she seethed, moving away as if she were ready to fight the man herself. "How could he do this?"

"H-he felt I wouldn't be able to help." _That I'm useless_.

"Don't you believe that," Rukia told her, her eyes sharp. "If you hadn't been there for me before, I know I'd be dead right now." Orihime's eyes widened. "That guy doesn't know what he's talking about." Hands reached out to grab hers, and Orihime numbly allowed Rukia to draw her hands up between them. "We need you."

"But I can't use my offensive program anymore!" She cried, her hands trembling within Rukia's grasp at that mere phantom of hope the shorter girl was providing.

"So? You created it, you can fix it." Rukia wasn't letting her go; a soft smile was blossoming on her lips. "Let's go, the two of us. At Soul Systems, you can fix your tech. Improve it, even. Then come back, and prove him wrong."

That fire, that faith, was contagious. It was why Rukia could get through to Ichigo so much better than she herself could. Orihime offered a small smile of her own. Perhaps it wasn't hopeless. Perhaps she had strengths too. She simply needed to discover them for herself.

And so she nodded, following Rukia to her car. She would become stronger, because her friends would always be worth it.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The city was a jumbled mass of chaos. It sickened him, watching people walk about with such purpose, holding themselves above all. What did they have really? Fragile little hearts. Emotions that could provide more pain than pleasure. What was the point of it all?

Ulquiorra sighed and pushed such thoughts aside. His sour mood was due to his assignment, he decided. He despised being on the outside, and after spending a week amongst such inferior beings, it was no wonder he was annoyed. Green eyes shifted to the building across the street that held his target. There were many hours before her usual departure.

It hadn't been difficult learning the girl's schedule. He knew where she lived, knew what time she went to work, and knew that she worked long hours. She lived alone in a small apartment close to work, and because she didn't own a car, she frequently walked home or took public transportation. In the morning, she stopped by a small coffee house to buy tea. Her best friend was a girl named Tatsuki Arisawa, given the amount of time they spent together. She was prone to tripping because she seemed to become lost in thought frequently. Generally, she didn't seem to be a threat to anyone, yet she was part of Karakura's offensive team; he thought it best not to take her lightly. Even more, her tech was strange. It was almost difficult to believe she had created it.

He checked his watch. Perhaps, given the weekend, she would leave early. Ulquiorra had surmised that her long hours were due to her broken tech. She had Yammy to thank for that.

Sweeping his eyes across the entrance, Ulquiorra made sure he hadn't drawn any unwanted attention. He had been forced to find a spot further away today given the arrival of several sleek black cars, the trademark of Soul Systems employees. It seemed that, just as Aizen predicted, the rival company had not been able to ignore the attack and had offered their own defensive help. Whatever Karakura Inc. possessed was important enough to be protected by Soul Systems, and, even more, was important enough for Aizen to keep it in his sights. It had to involve Kisuke Urahara, but beyond that, he knew no more.

Across the street, he caught a glimpse of crimson. She was there, walking out of the front doors with another girl. Rukia Kuchiki, his mind supplied. He stood and walked in their direction, hidden amongst the pedestrians crowding the sidewalk. They were heading towards a car, so he quickened his pace, nimbly maneuvering through the crowds. Knowing he would not be able to catch them on foot, he split away, walking purposefully towards his company car. In his pocket his fingers closed around a small, round object, and he withdrew it.

A mechanical eye blinked up at him. "Go." He commanded, holding it in the center of his palm. It whirled a moment before sprouting small, bat-like wings and took off in the direction of the woman and her companion. Getting into his car, he started the engine. A screen flickered alive on the center console, showing him the location of his bat-cam. He followed from a safe distance, turning and navigating along with his target. As they continued on, he realized where they were going, and soon the looming tower that was Soul Systems was within view.

_I must not get too close…_he thought before turning his car down a side street and parking.

Closing his eyes, he allowed the transmission to be broadcast within his own mind. Whatever the eye saw, he did as well.

It was odd that the woman would suddenly leave. She had seemed quite dutiful and attached to the place, yet here she was being whisked away. What had occurred? Did Karakura suspect?

No, he thought, they could not have. Before he could further reflect, however, the car was entering what had just been a gated road. His cam had attached itself to the bumper of the vehicle so that it could continue on with the car. Ahead, the road wound towards what looked like a tunnel, but rather than entering it on the same path, the ground shifted to reveal another road that lead down underground. It was dark now, except for faint lights lining the side of the tunnel. There was another checkpoint ahead, and once beyond, the transmission went dark, cut off by the security of Soul Systems. It was not surprising that his output would be jammed. For now, he had no reason to further track her actions. She was within walls he could not cross.

It certainly threw a wrench in his plans, but on the whole, it did not cause him too much alarm. There was something odd about the situation. Rukia Kuchiki was sent as part of a defensive team to protect Karakura. That much he had deducted from watching the activities of the day. He also was aware of scuffles in recent days, most likely between his own coworkers and Karakura's. He had not been involved because it had not been part of his mission, but the telltale scars of battle were obvious on some. The woman was almost living at work, trying to, most likely, repair her tech. If she had not, it was possible she was without any offensive ability and therefore would be quite the target.

Memories reeling, he replayed the moment he had seen her exit the building. Her expressions would be telling; one such as her would wear her emotions openly.

_There._

Within his mind he saw her reach up and wipe at her eyes. Her other hand was held firmly by the other girl. Tears. She had been crying.

Green eyes opened and he started his car once again. Already, there seemed to be a gap growing between the girl and the team she was part of. Or, he concluded, had been part of. Had Kisuke Urahara removed her because she was of no use, or had it been an act of protection?

It didn't matter, he thought, heading back to the white tower that was his home for the first time in a week. Driving her away would be their downfall.

After parking his car, he entered HM Global's lobby, only to find a familiar figure skulking in the hall.

"Where've you been?" a rough voice inquired, hands in pockets as he leaned against the white walls.

Ulquiorra glanced in his co-workers direction. "Last time I saw you, you had two arms, I believe."

Pale eyes flashed challengingly. "Fuck off!"

Shoulder blades creeping up in a shrug, he continued walking. But Grimmjow wasn't done.

"What's he got you doing?" he asked, stepping away from the wall with a hard stare.

Ulquiorra paused. It was strange that Grimmjow would seek him out; normally they were at odds for such differing goals and personalities. There was no doubt as to who 'he' was.

"I have an assignment. Beyond that it shouldn't concern you." He replied simply, his voice uncaring.

"Does it involve Kurosaki?" he inquired, and at this, Ulquiorra understood a bit more.

It seemed Grimmjow had taken things into his own hands contrary to Aizen's ruling. Whether his missing arm was due to battle or punishment, certainly Grimmjow would be on the outs with their leader.

"I could care less about him," he replied as Grimmjow eyed him a moment. "He was not part of my assignment."

The blue haired man backed off then, a frown set on his face. "Then what?"

Rather than answering, Ulquiorra asked a question of his own. "Are you under suspension now?" This brought a scowl to the other man's face.

"Who the hell cares? This is all just a joke to them anyways. Things were fine as long as I was fighting. I didn't fucking sign up to be put together only to be pulled apart piece by piece. I didn't suffer the worst pain imaginable to let them tell me what I should do."

Ulquiorra looked at him. "What you should do?" he repeated. The idea was laughable. "What is it then that you want to do, Grimmjow?"

"None of your business."

Ulquiorra released air slowly through his nose. "It is to become more powerful, isn't it? But what has power brought you so far except jail bars? There is no point."

Blue eyes stared at him. "And I suppose being an empty shell isn't pointless?" he shot back, standing to his full height. "I'm not just going to lie down and die."

"You think I wish for death? Then why would I undergo the enhancements? Do not delude yourself into thinking I am prepared to crumble away into dust."

"Then why do you follow him the way you do? Without thought."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and strode forward once again. "None of your business," he shot back, not interested in explaining himself to the man.

He had no reason to share his thoughts with Grimmjow. He had no loyalties to him, nor did he care for his opinion. But he did have a nice piece of information: Grimmjow would want revenge against Ichigo Kurosaki. Certainly Ulquiorra understood his type and therefore understood that his pride would make sure of that one thing.

His plan was about to be put into motion.

* * *

><p>AN: Alright, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review, it makes me more eager to bug my beta about proofing ;P

**wielbiciel**: Thank you for reviewing! I hope this story doesn't turn out to disappoint. :)

**LovelyMasoka**: /wibbles/ thank you so much for your kind words! It means a lot ;_;

**SavoringHappiness**: I hope it stays interesting :) Thanks for reading/reviewing!

**geminigrl016**: Thank you! I love AU's too, which brought me this particular plot bunny awhile ago. Hopefully I will keep your interest :3

Most impportantly, thank you to my amazing beta!

-Miss Soupy


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

It was midday when four pristine white vehicles left HM Global. They started out in a line, each subsequently separating onto a different street. Green eyes flickered to the rearview mirror in time to see Grimmjow noisily weave in and out of traffic on his motorcycle before heading off. He would head wherever Ichigo Kurosaki was. The other two, Yammy in a large SUV accompanied by a new member, and Grimmjow's replacement Luppi, who rode in a convertible, went their own ways as well.

Returning to the side street where he had watched the girl enter Soul Systems, Ulquiorra momentarily allowed his view to wander to the three new bat-cams he had created. He had sent one with each Espada member so that he could monitor their respective situations. It was a risk allowing them out freely, but he needed a good distraction.

All he needed to do now was wait.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"Alright Inoue, I'm going to use maximum output!" Rukia warned, readying her weapon.

"Souten Kesshun!" Orihime called, activating her shielding program. A transparent shield flickered to life before her, standing between Rukia and herself.

She saw Rukia take a breath and then charge forward, sword pointing to pierce the wall in her way. The weapon, of course, was not normal, but instead a _zanpakutou_, a special weapon only allowed to those who had undergone superhuman enhancements. She could feel the air begin to cool as Rukia drew near. Orihime wasn't certain how each sword was given a specific ability, and she was awed at the variety of powers that they could display. It was sometimes said that in order to be enhanced, one had to die and be reborn. Could it be a piece of their very soul? It was a thought that sent chills down her spine.

Orihime put a hand against her tech, hoping the shield would stand. The blade met pale orange, piercing through about an inch before it stopped completely. Orihime released a long breath as she and Rukia watched closely. But then the glass-like wall rippled as waves extended from the break, followed by webbed cracks. Everything shattered then, falling to pieces before vanishing from sight altogether.

Rukia lowered her blade. "Wow…it stopped the blade!"

Orihime faltered a moment as Rukia gave her a thumbs up. "B-but, it broke. I couldn't sustain it…" she said, feeling surprised.

Rukia shook her head. "Remember where you started? You could only take weak strokes before it broke. I came against you with everything, and you stopped my attack. For a minute, it even looked like it would hold."

Her brown eyes blinked before she asked shyly, "You really think so? I thought I had noticed that too but…maybe I can do something to stabilize it…"

Rukia clapped an encouraging hand on her arm. "You bet. You're getting there, don't worry. It took me years and years to develop my weapon. It didn't just happen right away."

Smiling gratefully at her friend, Orihime nodded. "Then I'm glad! Thanks for helping me, Kuchiki-san."

The shorter girl flopped her hand at her. "It's nothing. I don't want to get rusty myself."

They headed off the practice field housed within a gigantic building on Soul Systems' vast compound. Rukia was part of the 13th division within Soul Systems' impressive offensive operations team. A white haired man greeted them as they emerged from the field.

"Taking a break?" he asked kindly, approaching them.

"Ukitake-san!" Rukia said, surprised to find her boss on the practice grounds. She quickly bowed respectfully. "Yeah, we decided to come in for a break."

"Certainly," he agreed with a smile. "You two deserve it. You seem to be working very hard."

Orihime smiled. It was obvious that Rukia had a lot of respect for her boss and wanted to impress him. Heaviness weighed upon her heart as she thought back to her own boss, who she had trusted and looked up to. Rather than encourage her, he had been quick to remove her. Was that simply the difference between her and Rukia? Was Rukia just someone who had potential that was easily recognized, or was it in the personality of the one in charge? Ukitake was very nice and polite, but beyond that, Orihime didn't know him well. Urahara had also been nice, which further added to the shock she had felt when she received the news.

"Why don't we go get some tea, my treat-" Ukitake said before being interrupted by a blaring noise around them. Immediately, fear fell upon their faces. "The alarm? That must mean…" He looked to his side where a black butterfly hovered.

He touched it and a voice spoke, _"Attention all special operations personnel. We have just received reports of multiple attacks in the area surrounding Karakura Inc. All members are to report to their division heads for further instruction."_

"We have to go," Rukia said immediately, looking to Orihime before turning to her boss.

Ukitake looked at them worriedly before nodding. "Yes, you were sent to help protect them. But be careful. Inoue-san, you do not have clearance to use our special teleportation gates. You will need to return the same way you entered."

Orihime nodded before turning to Rukia. "Hurry Kuchiki-san. They will need you."

"I'll see you soon, Inoue," she promised in return before running off.

"Follow me," Ukitake said to her, leading her out of the giant field house. They took a shuttle to the main building, and Ukitake called ahead so that there were two men waiting when they arrived.

"We will escort you, Inoue-san!" one said with a bow.

"Thank you, Ukitake-san!" Orihime said breathlessly as she followed the two men in suits towards a waiting black car. One held the back door open for her, and she got in, feeling anxious about what was possibly happening on the outside. Were her friends ok? She wasn't sure what she would do if they were seriously hurt while she was away.

They were entering the tunnel with softly glowing lights lining it. There was a slight curve towards the middle, and as they rounded it, they were suddenly faced with more light than should have been there.

"Shit!" the driver cursed, slamming on his breaks as they neared the light. Orihime was slammed forward, but her seatbelt caught her before her head pounded against the seat in front. Tires squealed as the car fought to stop itself.

She was breathing heavily, and her heart beat frantically as she tried to see what was going on.

"Stay here, Inoue-san!" one of the men yelled before she heard doors opening.

"W-wait, wha-" she squeaked out before her voice broke into a scream. Something, no, a body, had been launched at the windshield with enough force to crack it.

"N-no!" she yelled, her fingers shakily trying to work the seatbelt latch. Once free, she launched herself out of the car in time to see the other man get thrown to her left side. Neither man was getting up.

"Souten Kisshun!" She cried, her voice cracking as at her hair two lights ignited. She maneuvered herself in front of the two men as her two healing pieces broke off to begin their assigned task. Slowly, she lifted her head to face her enemy. A figure stood in the headlights of another car, and at first, she could only make out a silhouette.

"Orihime Inoue, I am here to give you an incredible offer."

Her eyes widened. That cold voice… _She's just trash as well…_

It was that man, that sad man who had ordered their destruction. At once, her hope had been shot through. He was beyond her.

"Aizen-sama has taken interest in you and your tech. I am here to deliver an offer for a position."

She could just barely make out his face now; the twin teal streaks stood out faintly against the light. He was watching her carefully.

"Aizen…" she voiced faintly, shocked at what she was hearing. "Why would I work for someone like him?" Her voice had been steady, somehow. The name itself brought only memories of anger and pain. He had hurt Rukia, Ichigo, and so many others. How could this person be asking her this?

The man, Ulquiorra, she remembered, stepped closer to her, and she could finally see him fully. He looked just as emotionless as she remembered. "You would be given many opportunities to use and improve on your tech."

An empty answer, she knew. He couldn't possibly believe she would join based on that.

Sure enough, he responded quickly after with, "Of course, you most likely would find such things meaningless."

He flicked a pale hand faintly, and something flew past her and landed on his open palm. It looked like an eye. Ulquiorra extended his hand towards her and the eye rolled to point its sight upwards, a thin stream of light issuing from it's pupil before expanding to form a projection.

Orihime gasped as images of her friends flashed across it. She saw Rangiku and Hitsugaya and Renji. She saw Ichigo and Sado. She saw Urahara. They were all fighting. Many of the images showed them in pain.

"Your choice is as follows," he was speaking again, that slow carefully chosen speech pattern that held no trace of emotion. "You can accept this offer and I will call off these attacks. Or, you can decline and watch as your friends are killed one by one."

Orihime held a hand over her mouth. It was too much to bear seeing them in pain and possibly dying. There really was no choice here, at least not under those conditions.

"I…I'll do it," she whispered, bringing her hand down in defeat.

Deep green eyes looked at her as he asked, "What did you say?"

Orihime clenched her fists at her sides as she repeated, but defiantly this time. "I'll do it."

Ulquiorra curled his fingers around the eye and the projection went dark. "Get in the car."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The sun was almost too blinding when the car pulled out of the underground tunnel. It was like they had crossed into another dimension entirely; nothing quite looked as it should.

He looked in the rear view mirror to observe her reaction. She was staring out the window almost unseeingly, her face tense and her eyes absent of their usual light. His eyes snapped back to the road as he pulled onto another street and drove steadily away from Soul Systems.

At a red light, he lifted a folder from the passenger seat next to him and held it back towards her. "Documentation for you to sign," he explained, looking at her through the mirror once more.

Her fingers closed around the folder and she took it, looking down at it as if she were wishing it would suddenly disappear. The logo for HM Global stood out vividly on the cover.

Slowly she opened it and looked down at the first page. "Details of your leaving," he explained. "You need not know the specifics, just sign it."

She glanced briefly to him and then back down to the page. There was a pen in the pocket and she took it out, clicking the top. She pointed it at the page and her hand stilled, as if she couldn't make it move.

"Once the paperwork is complete," he told her in her moment of hesitation, "I will make a phone call and the fighting will stop."

The pen made contact with the paper then, and soon her name was there, crisp and neat on the page. She leaned back, and her eyes shut painfully as she closed the folder. A moment later, the car came to a stop, and she looked out to find herself in front of Karakura Inc.

"What…what's going on?" she asked, confused as Ulquiorra turned off the ignition.

"Come," he told her, getting out of the car. "Bring the folder."

She scrambled to do as she was told and joined him on the front steps. She saw he had a box in his hands.

"Deliver those documents to your boss's office. Do not speak of this matter with anyone." he told her as they entered the building, his hand outstretched with the empty box. "You may pack up whatever things you need, but do not take more than 15 minutes. Meet me back at the car."

Orihime bit her lip and nodded slowly but hesitated before heading to the elevator. "And you will call off your people?" she asked, making sure he would keep his side of the deal.

"I have no reason to lie to you," he told her flatly. "Remember, do not speak of this to anyone." Something small - the eye device she had seen - zipped out of the pale man's jacket pocket. It regarded her with a half-lidded stare before following her closely.

Ulquiorra flipped open his phone and made a linked call as he headed towards the stairs. "We have the girl. Time to retreat."

Grumblings could be heard on the other end of the line.

Luppi was the first to concede, and the line dropped. Yammy, however, was more difficult.

"If you do not retreat, I will think twice about retrieving your arm," Ulquiorra told him. He had expected resistance but had also planned around it. It would kill two birds with one stone; Yammy would take orders and would also be returned to his full capabilities. As expected, Yammy did as he was told. Grimmjow, however, continued ignoring the call.

With an annoyed sigh, Ulquiorra dialed into the bat-cam he had strategically placed with Grimmjow. As soon as the device had picked up the call, he ordered it near Grimmjow. At the closing of his eyes, he allowed his vision to switch to that of the bat-cam that was fluttering nearby pale blue hair.

Knowing that it was close enough for him to hear, Ulquiorra spoke. "Grimmjow, you are to retreat immediately. Failure to do so will result in further disciplinary action from Aizen-sama." The eye scanned the mans face which was tense from battle. Blood matted the side of his head, but otherwise he appeared mostly in one piece. For a moment though, his defiant expression didn't change, pale blues eyes staring steadfastly away. With a turn of the eye, he saw Ichigo Kurosaki leaning heavily on his sword. Once again, he directed the eyes gaze towards Grimmjow.

"Is this what you wanted to do, Grimmjow?" his voice came through the speakers of the bat-cam, coldly mocking what the Espada had brashly revealed earlier. "Is destruction by Aizen-sama because of foolish disobedience your grand plan?" Ulquiorra watched as his eyes shifted downwards to where his arm had once been. "If it is what you desire, then you might as well lie down and die here."

Pale blue eyes snapped towards the green metallic iris of the robotic bat. "Shut the hell up," came the equally icy reply, and a moment later darkness fell across his vision as a hand reached out to crush the device. Ulquiorra's eyes flew open. He had hit the desired nerve, and even if Grimmjow had still seemed defiant, Ulquiorra was confident he would now retreat.

If there was one thing commonly shared by those who called themselves _Espada_, it was the fear of death; especially if it would come by the hand of Aizen himself.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

She had held her breath as she got into the elevator, hoping she didn't recognize anyone. All the way up she worried that the doors would open and a familiar face would be there asking questions she couldn't answer. She wrung her hands before her as she watched the numbers light up. The bat hovered somewhere near her temple, reminding her of what she was doing.

The top floor held Urahara's office. Thankfully for her it was vacant, but she tried to be as quiet as possible as she made her away down the hall. She found the office door open slightly, so she pushed it further and walked it. Her fingers smoothed over the white folder as she withdrew it from the box she had carried it in. It felt heavy in her hand as she laid it on the desk.

_I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use…_ she thought sadly. In the end she couldn't really stay mad at the man. He had helped them all a lot, and she felt she owed him. Orihime sighed deeply and returned, taking the elevator down to the floor she shared with her friends. She hadn't been back since she had received her demotion, but she found none of her things had been touched. Carefully, she began packing the box with things she wanted to take: her phone charger, some pictures of her friends, the gel pens she wrote notes to Tatsuki with. When she had taken all of the personal items at her desk, she paused, looking at her space.

"It looks so empty now…" she said sadly, looking at it. The strange flying eye seemed to inspect it as well.

Impulsively, she took one of her post-its and wrote a short message before sticking it to her monitor. She didn't know if it would cause her trouble, but she didn't care, it was something she needed to say. For closure.

_Good bye Halcyon Days_

She turned, her hair a curtain of orange, and made her way to the elevators. She clicked the down arrow, and a door dinged before opening. As she entered, the elevator to the right also dinged, opening.

"Orihime?" she heard, and her heart immediately froze. It was Tatsuki.

Quickly, she pressed the door-close button. Too late, Tatsuki caught a glimpse of her as the doors closed smoothly. Orihime felt her heart thundering as she descended.

Somehow the elevator made no stops, and soon she was in the lobby heading towards the front doors. She was almost outside when she heard it.

"Orihime, wait up!"

Her eyes widened as she saw Tatsuki reflected in the glass. She pushed the door and quickly descended the steps. Ulquiorra was waiting below, leaning slightly against the white car they had arrived in. When he saw her, he straightened and opened the door to the backseat.

"Orihime!"

She didn't turn around, instead looking frantically at Ulquiorra whose attention had fallen on Tatsuki who was standing just outside the building doors.

"Please…hurry," she whispered, catching his eye with a pleading look.

As soon as she was safely in he shut the door and got into the drivers seat. As Tatsuki was descending the stairs, the car was turned on. She was only a few paces away when Ulquiorra signaled and eased into traffic. Orihime sank down in the seat, unable to look back at the confused and perhaps betrayed expression Tatsuki would hold. Why did she have to do that? Was this some form of cruel torture, making her return to the very place she wanted to be? Her eyes squeezed shut at the burning sensation in the corner of her eyes.

The eye had landed on her knee and watched her with its usual half-lidded stare. Ulquiorra checked the rear-view mirror. She was attempting to hold herself together.

"There were no casualties," he told her when they had stopped at a light. He witnessed her eyes fly open at his words and look at him in the mirror.

Her lip wobbled and a few tears streamed down. "Thank goodness…"

Ulquiorra turned his attention back to the road. They drove in silence until he heard her squeak in surprise.

"Wh-why is there an…_a-arm_ in here?"

Ulquiorra sighed inwardly. Perhaps he should have placed Yammy's arm in the trunk…

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

HM Global was intimidating, Orihime decided, staring up at the enormous building. Soul Systems was large too, but somehow it didn't give off the same coldness. Ulquiorra drove the car into what seemed to be a private garage for employees. A man approached as he got out and told Orihime to as well.

"Cifer-san," the man bowed formally as Ulquiorra handed him the keys.

"There is a box inside containing some items that need to be searched before being released," he told him, causing Orihime to blink in surprise. "Also, Yammy's arm needs to be returned."

"Yes sir!"

"Come," he commanded, his body turned away from her, and Orihime silently followed.

After they passed through a few doors, they entered a glass tunnel that seemed to connect the garage to the actual building. Within moments, Orihime found herself in a large expanse of a room that she guessed was the front lobby. In the center was a sculpture of stairs leading upwards, supposedly to heaven. The walls and furniture were all white, and their footsteps echoed against the tall walls making Orihime feel very small.

"Welcome back, Cifer-san," a woman behind the front desk greeted coolly. Her eyes flickered briefly over Orihime before looking back to the man. "They are waiting for you in conference room 1F."

Ulquiorra nodded and continued on.

"It's quiet…" Orihime commented, looking around her.

At Karakura Inc., there always seemed to be some noise, people talking, and odd tinkering sounds coming from everywhere. Here it was quiet, as if the expanse of the room blanketed all noise. She looked down at the polished black floor. Everything was either white or black, but mostly white. Even Ulquiorra wore a white suit and had shaggy black hair. The only thing that stood out about him were his bright green eyes and the odd tear-like markings on his face.

"Does everyone where white here?" she asked, when it was obvious Ulquiorra wouldn't be replying.

He looked at her, as if wondering why she was talking, but inevitably answered, "Aizen-sama prefers a white theme, though it is not exactly required. The Special Operations unit has adopted the white theme, however."

"I see," she replied, bobbing her head along. "At Soul Systems they usually wear black, or dark colors. Maybe he wanted to look opposite them."

He didn't respond, but had to agree it was probably true. It seemed like something Aizen would do, to make certain how obvious it was that he had cut ties with his former company.

After walking for what felt, to Orihime, like forever, Ulquiorra paused in front of a door. He buttoned his white jacket, hiding the mint green undershirt below. Watching him, Orihime thought he seemed to stiffen considerably. Suddenly she felt very nervous.

"Aizen-sama is waiting for us," he explained, and he saw the color drain from her face. But she nodded, and he opened the door for her to enter before him.

"Welcome," Aizen greeted as she entered the large conference room. He stood as she walked to him, a warm smile and an offered hand. She took it, he squeezed it firmly, and she loathed the feeling. Orihime released a thankful breath when he finally let go.

"We won't keep you long as I'm sure you wish to get settled in. I just wanted to introduce you to the leaders of my Special Operations team. Your work here should help provide support for them."

It was then that she noticed the other stares around the room; some of the individuals looked slightly worn. Orihime recognized Yammy who indeed only had one arm. There was a man with pink hair, an older gentleman with a lot of scars, a lanky man that gave her a smile that made her feel uncomfortable, a dark-skinned woman with blonde hair, and others as well.

A shorter member with a young looking face at the opposite side of the table from her scoffed, "Support us? What can she do?"

Heaviness seemed to fill the room at the out-spoken words, but Aizen calmly regarded him. "Orihime Inoue has developed a technology that initiates the rebuilding of cells from the outside. Such control at the cellular level is very much unheard of. It is one thing for ones own body to repair itself and another for an outside source to command it to do so as thoroughly as hers. Even, I might guess, rebuilding what was lost."

The young man didn't look too sure. "That's impossible."

"Shall we test that theory?" Aizen asked simply. "Grimmjow, why don't you come forward."

A man with blue hair came forward; his face was hard as he looked down at her. He too seemed unsure.

"Grimmjow's arm was destroyed beyond our usual repair. Normally if the appendage is returned, it can be surgically reattached. But…" he nodded towards Orihime, "Orihime-san should be able to restore it."

She blinked, looking doubtfully towards Aizen. "I…I've never healed something like that…" Grimmjow had already removed his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt for her to examine. She had to bite back a gasp at the long scar that trailed from the top of his chest down to his navel.

Casting her gaze towards his arm, Orihime bit her lip. The flesh had been sealed about three inches above where the elbow should have been. Her tech reacted directly with the very blueprints of the body, the DNA. All of the information was there, how the body should have developed. It knew how it should be. She just needed to tell it to restore itself.

"It is not simply enough to say Orihime-san can affect cells," Aizen was saying. "Certainly she could even affect the atomic level and below."

Putting a shaking hand to her pins, she activated her tech. Within seconds the cinched flesh began to react, seeming like it was melting. It began to elongate as cells began to build themselves. Thanks to her ability already having a pain relieving effect, she knew he would not feel the intense pain he would have felt from rebuilding an arm. Soon he had an elbow, as the recreation continued. Then a wrist and fingers. There were popping noises as the bones connected to one another, and veins and muscles were sewn together.

His arm was complete, and she backed away as he experimentally moved his fingers and bent his arm.

The rest of the room was staring, wide-eyed with disbelief, but the person that had spoken before was the one to voice, "How the hell? That's-"

"A power that trespasses into god-like territory," Aizen supplied.

They were all looking at her now, she could feel, so she kept her eyes trained on the arm she had brought back into existence.

"She's just a normal human," Luppi was muttering, his voice almost sounding hysterical. "I could crush her skull between my hands. How could she create such a technology?"

Ulquiorra's eyes shifted over to Grimmjow, who had an odd look on his face. Green eyes narrowed.

"It truly is a gift," Aizen said, reverting attention back to himself. "We are fortunate to have Orihime-san on our side." Brown eyes fell on her and she looked up. "Please do your best, Orihime-san."

And the meeting was over. Aizen left, and the other espada got up and began filing out, giving odd looks to the strange new human.

Orihime looked nervously up at Grimmjow. She felt she should say something. She was some kind of doctor, wasn't she? What was usually said to patients?

"Um, well, h-hopefully that arm will work out better for you!" she attempted lightly.

Surprisingly, a wide grin spread across Grimmjows face. But it wasn't directed at her; in fact, she was fairly certain he hadn't heard a thing. He was staring at the short, outspoken guy from before who looked much more sickly than he did a moment ago.

There was a pressure at her arm and she looked over to see Ulquiorra.

"Let's go," he told her. His eyes were extremely cold as he looked between her and where Grimmjow was moving towards the other man.

She did as she was told and quickly left the room in front of Ulquiorra, who closed the door swiftly behind him. Somehow, she seemed to sense the severity of the situation and didn't ask about what was going on in the room they were quickly leaving behind.

One thing was certain: they would never see Luppi again.

* * *

><p>AN: This will be the last chapter that follows canon so closely...in case people were wondering. Next chapter will feature a lot of Ulquiorra/Orihime interactions as well, so look out for it! Please review!

Beta'd by a chu sort of thing... Thank you so much!

**Uncomplicated Male**: oh my, thank you...! I feel fortunate to get a review from such a simple man...

**wielbiciel**: While I can't reveal all of my intentions...if you have read any of my stories, I think you might notice a certain theme I have that may answer your question... ;) Thanks for your review!

**geminigrl016**: You're welcome! I usually don't write chapters that long, but I decided it was better to fit more into each chapter, especially when I'm still setting up the story-line. And yes, I've been thinking of this plot bunny for over a year. It required a lot of attention! While I haven't heard of that game before, I googled it and I can see what you are saying. The plot revolves around huge corporations and high tech weaponry like this plot does. Sounds pretty interesting! And thank you for reading!

-Miss Soupy


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

"Whoooa, that's a lot of elevators," Orihime said, impressed at the wall of metallic doors before her.

Doors swooshed open and they entered. Ulquiorra took out some sort of cardkey and ran it before a sensor. There was a beep, and then, at the back of the elevator, a door opened up into another compartment. Orihime gaped, but when Ulquiorra moved into this new elevator, she had no other choice but to follow. The hidden doors eased shut, and Orihime looked around with wide eyes. Here there was also a panel of numbers, but these looked different. The numbers here ran from 1 to 10 and were displayed in a strange font. Ulquiorra quickly pressed the number 4, and the elevator began descending smoothly.

"Underground?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, all of the Special Operations unit is situated underground, including the private villas of the Espada."

This answer also surprised her, and she couldn't help but repeat, "You actually _live_ here?"

"Indeed."

The downwards movement came to a smooth stop, but then she felt the compartment shift sideways. It was sliding in a circle, somehow. Orihime looked up as the number panel lit up with a green number 4. The doors slid open and she followed Ulquiorra straight down the hall. There were few offices in this area, and at the end of the corridor they walked down, there was a door with a large 4 embellished on it. At his touch on the doorknob, there was a click and the door unlocked itself so that they could enter.

The apartment was bathed in the same white theme as everything else. It was very neat and clean looking. Steps from the door lead down to the interior, where the living room began. There was a large, u-shaped couched situated in front of a TV and stereo system. To the direct left of the door and leading away from the living room was the kitchen. The kitchen was small, but it had a high marble counter with bar stools arranged neatly along it. Towards the far right corner she saw a spiral staircase heading upwards to another level, which included a balcony where you could view the entire apartment from.

"Amazing," she said with awe lacing her voice. She took in the space around with wide eyes. "Is this my place?"

Ulquiorra stepped down into the living room. "Don't be ridiculous," he told her. "These are my quarters."

"Oh…" she said, deflated as she followed him in. "Then, why did you bring me here?"

Ulquiorra nodded in the direction of the spiral staircase. "Your room is above." His eyes fell upon her as she blinked in surprise. "I have been ordered to house you here as you are coming from a competitor. Until Aizen-sama deems you trustworthy, you will be staying under my watch."

Orihime deflated further. She honestly didn't think she needed a babysitter. She was an adult after all, and even though she still considered them her enemies, she wasn't about to go back on her word at this point. At least as long as her friends' lives were on the line, she would be forced to obey.

"What about my apartment? All of my things are there."

Ulquiorra crossed the room and beckoned her to follow him up the stairs. "They will be taken care of. Aizen will provide everything you might need here. If there are personal things you require, I can see to it that they are brought here. They will, of course, need to be searched thoroughly."

On the second floor there seemed to be two doors. Ulquiorra opened the first revealing a fairly spacious bedroom. "Your room." He pointed his finger down. "My room is below. If you attempt to escape, I will know of it."

And then he left her, closing the door behind him.

Orihime stepped in cautiously. "This is bigger than my bedroom back home." Her eyes roved from the plush chair in the corner to the bedside table and then to the small desk situated under a window. "But it's not as nice." She blinked, eyes snapping back. "How is there a window here?"

She walked over to it to draw the blinds away and looked outside. She found she couldn't open the window itself, but there appeared to be stars and a crescent moon in the night sky above.

"That's strange…"

Next she opened the closets and found multiples of a white dress. She guessed it was meant to be her new dress code. The drawers inside the closet, to her mortification, held underwear that was exactly the right size.

_How did they know?_ Her cheeks felt hot, and she quickly closed the drawers.

She inspected the attached bathroom next, where she found various toiletries and a closet full of towels and washcloths. As with the underwear, she found brands she normally bought for herself, from shampoo to toothpaste.

Turning off the light, she walked back into the bedroom.

_Now what? _She wondered, sitting on the edge of her bed. There was so much to take in, but up till then, she had something else to take her mind away from the reality of it all. Now there was nothing. Just silence.

Karakura Inc. was probably picking up the pieces. Ulquiorra had told her no one had died, but that was all the information she had to go on.

_I never met up with Kuchiki-san again_…

The guilt was heavy now. She felt miles away from them all, hidden away in this castle of white. Those bonds that she had held so dear…seemed so unreachable. Why hadn't she cherished things more? Every moment seemed all the more special now that she was no longer with them. They were like bright stars in a galaxy too far for her to ever reach.

If it had been anyone else, would they have given in like she had?

Orihime bit her lip. No - they were so strong, in body, mind, resolve. Everything. Certainly she was chosen not based on merit, but based on weakness.

Was she really going to help heal the very people that would destroy the ones she loved? How would that help the situation at all? She was trapped and falling into the depths of despair. Her eyes squeezed shut but flew open a moment later when she heard a voice at the door.

"I'm coming in," Ulquiorra announced, opening the door. In his hands was a tray supporting a cup and a teapot. He placed it on her desk, and she watched him with sad eyes.

"It is the brand you are familiar with," he told her as he turned to look at her. Something had definitely finalized since he left her alone, as he thought it might. Her face sagged with sadness and defeat.

She walked over and poured some in a cup, her back now facing him. "How did you know this is the kind I like?" she asked softly, blowing across the hot liquid.

"Every morning you went to a tea shop down the road from your apartment before heading to work," he answered truthfully, his eyes watching her turned head with curiosity. As if he was trying to peer into her very thoughts.

It was odd for him. He was used to the other employees. They thought mostly of power, of survival, of destruction and chaos. She was not like them, not exactly. She thought of feelings and hope and joy, things he had discarded when he had undergone the transformation.

"Ah, you were watching me," she supplied, taking a sip.

"Of course."

She looked up out the window. "How am I seeing the night sky?"

He too looked up and out upon the sliver of a moon hanging in the sky. "It is artificial," he explained. "I can control the appearance outside, from the time of day to the weather."

She finally turned to look at him, her despair replaced by a look of attentiveness. "That is kind of interesting…" And just like that, her spark was back. There was still sadness, displacement within her, but she was intrigued by something to which he barely gave any thought.

"Aizen-sama created the system. He gifted it to his prized Espada as a show of his respect. 'The ability to control the heavens', he called it. That is the power of Aizen-sama." There was no emotion in his voice; he simply repeated facts that he knew. But Orihime understood. He was letting her know how insignificant anyone was in the face of Aizen.

Head turning towards the window, she spoke. "I'm not surprised. Aizen-san is definitely a genius. But…" she hesitated, remembering where she was and who she was with. Certainly she would get in trouble for dissension. They all seemed so loyal to the man, after all.

Her lips thinned. She should not allow this place to change her. Ulquiorra was no fool. He must know she despised Aizen. Boldly, she continued, "…a false sky can never replace the real thing. I wonder if Aizen-san knows this."

Green eyes watched her, measuring. "Certainly. It would be foolish to give the best to those below you. A taste is enough. The best is saved only for the leader."

She gave him a look of grim understanding, and he was impressed to see she must have expected it. While he knew her to have little experience with a man as powerful as Aizen, she was quickly learning about the dangers that surrounded her particular field. A lot had changed for her in a short time, and some of these changes had no doubt caused her to cast some of her previous naivety behind. Much remained, he was sure, but she was not as absent-minded as he might have supposed.

"Unfortunately," he went on, "such technology is wasted upon me. I care not what image is beyond my window." He turned to leave then, feeling loathe to remain and further discuss the difference between Aizen and all other beings within the company. It was pointless even thinking on it. He had not the ambition nor the reason to want more.

Ulquiorra had almost closed the door behind him when he heard a soft voice.

"Thank you for the tea. Good night."

He made no reply, leaving her to the stillness that waited. Even so, he could not help but wonder if she was stronger than she seemed.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Orihime proceeded through the next few days with a settling numbness. She was given a work space but found she had no ambition to do anything at all. Ulquiorra showed her around the 4th floor, describing the various rooms and their purposes, places she was not allowed to go unescorted. Beyond that, she was secluded. It seemed, at times, that there were no other beings in the 4th section. Sometimes she thought she heard footsteps echoing down the white halls or shadows passing by, but somehow, she always seemed to miss viewing anyone else. Eventually, she would begin to sigh loudly and fidget. Ulquiorra would get the hint that she simply could not attempt to work anymore, and he would take her back to his apartment. He fed her, and she was to return to her room, only to repeat everything once again the next day. It was somewhat maddening, especially since, beyond meal time, she had no idea what time of the day it was. The hanging moon was ever present outside of her window.

Her cheek hit her palm as she stared at her monitor. Letting out a sigh for the hundredth time that day, she looked around to where Ulquiorra was doing his own work. She had tried inquiring about his duties, but he always deflected her questions in some way. He did a good job of ignoring her exasperation, she thought, watching him. By now, she knew how to get his attention without truly needing to ask for it. Brown eyes watched the pale face of her warden, waiting patiently.

There.

His lips had thinned a fraction. She smiled. Not much longer and he would look up, unable to ignore her. Orihime continued to stare, smiling even more when his eyebrows closed together. A moment later, her vision met annoyed green eyes.

"Are you truly so incapable of doing your work?" he asked sharply. "It is not nearly the end of your allotted work hours."

"I'm thirsty," she lied, not batting an eye at his condescending words. "Could we take a walk? My back is getting stiff."

Ulquiorra sighed through his nose. Was this not a grown woman? How was it that she could behave like a child?

"If I allow you to walk, will you do your work without complaint?" he bargained. If she was going to be so insufferable, the least he could do was try to complete this day without further problems.

"Yes!" she vowed solemnly, pushing away from her desk.

Eagerly she followed him out of the office and down the hall. He was sure to keep a few paces ahead of her, his back straight and his hands in his pockets.

Watching him, Orihime bemusedly thought it might be funny to poke his back and gauge his reaction. Would he stay rigidly stiff, or would he react to it? Her finger was poised before her when he stopped suddenly. Somehow she reacted quick enough to stop as well so as not to collide with his back.

"Show yourself," Ulquiorra commanded, and Orihime peered around him to look down the hallway. A figure that had been hidden in the doorway of another room showed itself with an all too toothy grin.

"Don't mind me," the tall, lanky man said. "Just thought I could catch a glimpse of the new pet you keep hidden away down here."

He had said it so suggestively that Orihime felt her body physically recoil away from the man and shrink further behind Ulquiorra.

"Hidden?" Ulquiorra repeated, unfazed. "You are quite mistaken. Unless you have some assignment I am not aware of, you have no need to be in this wing, Nnoitra."

The man didn't seem to hear him as continued to ogle Orihime, his thin eyes regarding her like she was a piece of meat.

"Ne, Pet-sama, why don't you come visit the 5th wing? You are probably bored out of your mind here, eh?"

Orihime's eyes widened and she placed her palms out towards the man. "N-no…I-"

"That will not be occurring," Ulquiorra said flatly, cutting her off. "Unless Aizen-sama gives you the job of guarding this woman, you have no reason to be here. Now leave."

There must have been a finality in his voice that even the sleazy man could recognize because he had turned his attention back to Ulquiorra with a frown. "What a waste," he sneered, no longer enjoying himself now that Ulquiorra had gotten serious. Turning, he slunk back down the hall and out of sight.

Orihime sighed in relief, and Ulquiorra turned his head to face her partially, one green eye upon her. "Do not wander around Nnoitra unattended. He is exceedingly selfish and enjoys causing trouble."

Scrunching her nose, Orihime replied with a shudder. "I don't want to be around him anymore than you do."

This seemed to satisfy her warden, and they continued on.

_Perhaps I should be nicer to Ulquiorra_, she thought with a grimace. She didn't want him to get too annoyed and decide he didn't need to be the one looking after her. The other choices seemed so much worse.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Orihime awoke with the realization that it was Saturday, the fifth day, as her things had finally been deemed safe and returned to her, including her datebook. She was unsure if that meant anything different for her schedule, as it was possible these people never really took time off; she certainly couldn't picture Ulquiorra taking a leisure day. She made her way downstairs to eat and receive her orders for the day.

As usual, Ulquiorra had set her breakfast out for her, comprising a bowl of rice and an egg this time. But what was peculiar was the white moth fluttering about his head.

"I think you have a friend," she pointed, watching the creature fly around with curious attention.

Ulquiorra gave her a dry look for her observation. "I am aware." And then, because he was currently in the mood to lecture, he explained further, "It is a summons. Aizen-sama uses these moths to communicate with us and call us to meetings."

She nodded, remembering the black butterflies that Soul Systems used to exchange information.

"Am I going?" she asked, taking a bite of rice. She wished suddenly that there was some bean paste to eat with bread.

Ulquiorra shook his head. "No, only the Espada are needed."

Orihime wasn't certain if she should feel saddened or relieved. On one hand, she had no desire to see Aizen, nor the lanky Nnoitra she had recently met. But on the other, she was so sick of being alone. It was such an effort to get Ulquiorra to converse with her.

"I'll wait here then, I suppose," she said with a sigh. "Perhaps I will organize my room again." It was really the only activity she could come up with. Her room was the only thing she under her control.

Ulquiorra said nothing, and soon he was gone with the strict instruction and threat that she was not to leave. She wouldn't try, of course. There was no hope for her to escape.

Orihime finished her meal in silence.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The meeting had been fairly short. Aizen had once again commended them on their performances thus far and had promised their skills would soon be further engaged. To Ulquiorra, it almost appeared as if the man was stalling, but beyond that, he thought little more of it. If Aizen had a plan, he would reveal it only when he was ready. Until then, he merely needed to carry out his current task. As the others left, Aizen had caught his eye, and understanding the glance, he had lingered behind.

Aizen greeted him with a smile and asked, "So, Ulquiorra, how is Inoue-san doing? I hope she is settling in well."

Stiffly, Ulquiorra inclined his head towards his leader. "She has, I believe, gotten used to her new routine. Thus far, she had not attempted anything threatening, though her work ethic leaves something to be desired. She is easily distracted."

The man chuckled faintly, as if his words had truly humored him. "To you, of course, anyone might seem distracted. You, compared to many others, have the clearest vision."

Ulquiorra remained silent, his eyes sharp upon the other man. He did not know how to reply to such a comment, and so he waited for what Aizen might say next.

"You must understand, Ulquiorra, that she is not quite like people you are used to." His voice was gentle, as if easily explaining something. "A girl like Orihime-san will react to certain behaviors."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean to say is that she will certainly react better if she is given things she enjoys. Rewards, if you will. That, I believe, will be the easiest way to win her favor and thusly, her attention. If she is good, if she behaves, reward her."

Closing his eyes, he nodded briefly. "Yes, I understand."

"Good," Aizen returned, "I wish you to gain some trust from her. I imagine it is a difficult time for her, so it should be easy to gain something she will be wishing to give to someone."

Green eyes flickered to peer into deep brown. "Yes, Aizen-sama."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

He returned hours later to find a strange noise coming from his kitchen. Upon inspection, he found the girl singing as she washed the dishes he had dirtied making breakfast.

"Even when you are alone you are still making noise," he commented, causing her to jump. She hadn't heard him return.

She smiled, embarrassed. Somehow she understood that he hadn't said such a thing to be cruel. "I suppose I can't help it. I talk to myself all the time, really."

Moving to stand beside her he looked at the pile of clean dishes. "This is unexpected."

She shrugged and resumed scrubbing. "I was bored. Reorganizing only takes so long, you know."

"Perhaps next time there is a meeting I could drop you by the kitchens. They would have plenty more dishes to keep you entertained."

Quickly, she looked up at him but found his face showed no difference. Orihime felt somewhat disappointed that he had attempted a sarcastic joke with such little interest.

Then she realized, "Kitchens?" Surely they would have delicious bean paste!

He nodded, his feathery hair brushing against the bridge of his nose. "There is a central eating area for the Special Operations employees."

As soon as he said it, Ulquiorra noticed the desire in her eyes. He understood she was lonely, as used to socializing as she was. He himself was not a suitable companion for someone like her, yet she did not complain. Much.

Surprisingly she didn't reply, but after she put the last dish away, her hands fidgeted at her sides. He thought of Aizen and his words. _If she is good, if she behaves, reward her._

"If you wish, we can go there to eat. Though it will be noisy and crowded due to the approaching lunch hour." For him, eating in the silence of his home was preferred, but the way her eyes lit up at the offer told him she liked his idea. Truly she would need to be kept as comfortable as possible to ensure her ability to help their cause when needed.

"I'd…I'd like that," she said modestly, smiling in spite of herself.

Ulquiorra inclined his head.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

As expected, the cafeteria was busy and very loud. People were talking animatedly, arguing, and slurping up their food.

Orihime seemed taken aback. "I'm surprised!" she exclaimed when they entered the large room. "I expected it to be quiet here too, for some reason." The cafeteria still held the trademark white of the entire building, but the employees that used this eating area were far from being prim and perfect unspeaking followers. The underground offices were for all those who had undergone the enhancements. They were more closely related to animals than humans, he thought, the way they behaved. With any luck, the woman would notice this and be appalled, and he would never have to set foot in such a place again.

Unfortunately, her face told him otherwise. Instead she showed awe as she looked around. "I never knew there were so many people here!"

When they entered, many eyes turned to look at them curiously. Ulquiorra chose to ignore the stares, instead ushering the girl who had seemed to forget how to walk towards the food lines.

This too seemed too much for her to take in as her eyes hungrily looked over all of her choices.

"This all looks so good!"

Ulquiorra got a tray, on which he placed a plate for her and himself. Soon her plate was crammed with a random assortment of foods, all of which he would have never associated as compliments of one another. He eyed her plate distastefully before turning to look down at her. She was smiling.

"I never thought I'd miss cafeteria food," she laughed. "Usually I brought my own meals. The selection of cafeteria food at Karakura Inc. was really small compared to here."

He nodded stiffly, to show he had at least heard her, before his eyes scanned the area for a suitable table. Seeing one vacant on the edge of the seating area, he motioned towards it and she nodded.

The cafeteria seemed to quiet as they sat, all eyes upon them. It was abnormal for an Espada to be sitting amongst the rest of the employees; they had their own private sitting area nearby. Feeling that it would be more comfortable for his ward in a more social area, and not wanting to deal with whatever Espada could possibly be near, he had opted to stay in the open area. As a result, they were currently under extreme scrutiny, and whispers flew through the air. Green eyes flickered around, casting sharp glances at those who dared meet his eyes.

Orihime pretended not to notice, taking large gulping bites of her mesh of foods. She knew Ulquiorra was not in his element, as quiet and composed as he was. He didn't seem to have an interest in socializing with anyone. In fact, beyond the lanky Espada, Nnoitra, she had not seen him talk to anyone else. Of course, before today she had been so cooped up in his villa or the lab that she hadn't really had much opportunity. Now she found herself curiously waiting for the moment someone approached him. Surely there was someone here with whom he could confide in or talk to.

Ulquiorra ate his lunch in silence, however, so she decided to ask, "Does anyone here work directly for you? I figured the Espada captains would have assistants. The division leaders in Soul Systems do, and the set-up seems similar."

Green eyes regarded her calmly. "I have no personal assistants. Anyone in this room would be required to obey my orders, however, as I out-rank them all."

Orihime couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. It was seeming even less likely now that Ulquiorra was close to anyone. She had to admit he did seem like someone who would try to be as self-sustaining as possible.

"Well, are there any of the other Espada that you feel close to?" she asked next, watching him hopefully.

Yet again she was let down. "No. I do not care for such relationships, only professional ones."

She looked into his face, at the dark tear streaks trailing down pale cheeks. Yes, Ulquiorra was definitely a loner. She was forgetting who he was and who he served; to expect the employees of HM Global to be like the ones she knew in Karakura Inc. was foolish. But even so, she could not fault him. He contained some good points, from what little she knew of his character. He was blunt with her, speaking honestly and thus she felt, on some level, that she could trust him. Ulquiorra did not waste words; instead, anything he had to say was important. He was intelligent and observant, both very good traits to have. And, she thought with a small smile, he was not completely uncaring. He had brought her out because she wanted it, not because he did.

"Then, I suppose I am the first person to work with you, Ulquiorra-kun?" It was daring, she knew, to speak to him in such a way. But they seemed to be stuck with one another, for the time being, and she was going to try to make the best of it. If she could try to understand him, even a little bit more, Orihime felt she would have accomplished something.

His green eyes shot at her, his stare one that would have unnerved most. For a moment , he was silent, staring. Her innocent brown eyes looked back, and then he finally spoke in his normal controlled voice, "You work for Aizen-sama. I am simply meant to make sure you do not disobey, given your previous job and alliances."

Surprisingly, she smiled at him. She had half-way known what he would say, even if she still hoped he might not. "I understand."

"And you will call me 'Ulquiorra'."

She was already looking back to her plate and nodding noncommittally. Suddenly, she sat up and leaned over the table closer to Ulquiorra.

"Um, where is the bathroom?" she said quietly, a hand cupping against her mouth as if it would keep her words hidden.

For a moment he seemed to weigh his options, looking between her to a place over her shoulder. Then he sighed and pointed a pale finger to an archway on the other side of the cafeteria.

"Be quick," he told her as she stood and with a nod she hurried off.

The girls bathroom was large, yet fairly simple. It had a white stone, classic appearance. When Orihime was washing her hands, three girls entered, arguing loudly with one another.

"Hurry up, would you!"

"So impatient…"

"I need to fix my make-up so pipe down!"

When they noticed Orihime, the three of them frowned in her direction, causing her to smile shyly at them through the mirror. As she left, she could feel their eyes on her, and she was so distracted that she almost ran into someone.

"Ah, sorry!" she said worriedly, looking up at the tall woman she narrowly missed.

Light green eyes against a dark face regarded her calmly. "You are the girl from Karakura Inc." she stated, her voice deep and smooth.

Orihime nodded quickly. "Orihime Inoue."

"Tier Harribel, of the Espada," she replied, inclining her head slightly.

Brown eyes widened as she looked up at the blonde haired woman. "Nice to meet you!" she said quickly, bowing. Orihime could remember her face vaguely when she had been presented to Aizen at her first arrival.

"Tell me," the woman continued, "How have you been treated thus far? Has Cifer treated you well?"

Orihime blinked, confused. "Huh? You mean Ulquiorra?"

Harribel nodded. "Yes."

"I…I don't know," she stammered, surprised someone was asking her such a thing. "He is pretty quiet most of the time." Orihime felt that there was something else the woman was getting at.

"What I mean is, has he harmed you in any way?"

"What? No! Why would you…" she broke off, her brown eyes looking at the woman with a mix of horror and confusion.

Her sharp green eyes held back whatever emotion she was feeling. "I merely ask because of the position you have been put in." she explained. "Even though you are not one of us, you should not feel pressured into anything. Especially as you are a normal human and a woman."

At those words, Orihime felt her cheeks heat up, but Harribel wasn't done. "Your job is to do what Aizen-sama asks of you. Do not feel obligated to do anything for these men."

Hands fidgeting, Orihime tried to suppress her awkwardness. "Ah, w-well, I don't think Ulquiorra is that type of person…I mean, I don't think he would ever…ask for…_that_."

She felt completely embarrassed. Such a thought had never crossed her mind, but perhaps that had more to do with her naivety than anything else. Certainly there would be such people here. Nnoitra had exhibited such tendencies, but Ulquiorra never had.

Thankfully, Harribel nodded and said, "I agree. I trust Aizen-sama's choice over any other here. But, even so, I felt I should tell you. If you ever do feel threatened in that way, my team is comprised only of females. Aizen-sama would allow you to switch, I'm sure, if you needed to."

Orihime bowed again. "Thank you, Harribel-san, for thinking of me. I understand."

The woman appeared satisfied and moved to allow her to walk back to her table just as the other three girls appeared at her side. Looking back, Orihime saw them leave together, following the quiet woman.

When she approached, Ulquiorra stood to move towards her side. Orihime saw he had already cleaned up their things.

"What did Harribel speak to you about?" he asked suddenly, ushering her out of the cafeteria. It seemed he had had enough of their time away.

"N-nothing really," she said, startled. She hadn't expected him to know of their encounter. Picking up her pace, she attempted to keep up with him; he was walking faster than normal. "She just asked how I was doing."

Turning to her, he raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Well, she just wanted to let me know that if I was…uncomfortable, living at your place, I could move to hers." He continued to stare, so she tried to explain further, "Um, because you are a man…and she said she only has girls in her department." She was barely able to memorize her surroundings. Without Ulquiorra's lead, she felt she would have been hopelessly lost. "I mean, I didn't expect her to be worried about me, so it was kind of nice. But, I told her I was alright."

He was slowing now, and she could barely hear the voices from the cafeteria anymore. "Her worry is unnecessary."

She looked at him, but he was no longer watching her, instead staring straight ahead stoically. "Oh, but she did believe in you. I think it was a worst case scenario offer."

He made a deep sound in his throat and she was unsure if he had believed her or not.

"She seems like someone who would care about her subordinates though. I saw them in the bathroom, and they seemed very comfortable."

"I suppose she is more protective of them than other Espada are to their own." he admitted. "But, that is not to say she has complete control of them. She has been known to be too lenient with some of them due to her protective nature towards those females."

"She seemed kind of…motherly," Orihime agreed thoughtfully.

"A mother who spoils her children, perhaps."

They had reached his villa, and like always, the door opened at his touch. They were back in the quiet now, but Orihime, unable to keep her question to herself anymore, decided to ask, "Why don't you have any subordinates, Ulquiorra? Why is it that you choose not to have relationships with anyone here?"

She removed her shoes at the door and stood to look at him.

"What would be the purpose of having any?" he asked.

Her shoulders inched up in a shrug. "I don't know…maybe so you wouldn't be lonely?"

He snorted. "Simply having subordinates would not remove loneliness. Even if you were surrounded by many people here every day, would you feel any less alone?"

She wrapped a comforting hand around her opposite forearm. "No…I guess I wouldn't truly be less alone."

"It is meaningless," he supplied with such great finality that she felt her heart drop. "It is a farce. Nothing would change."

Reality had finally caught up with her again. This wasn't her home, and this wasn't where she belonged. She was a prisoner here, forced to do things she didn't want to do. Forced to live around people she didn't want to live with. Surely these people didn't really know about friendship and love.

"Maybe…"

"Maybe?" he echoed. "Do not be naïve." Startled brown eyes looked up into his own. "For us of the Espada, bonds are impossible. We belong to Aizen-sama, and if Aizen-sama demanded us kill, even if a subordinate, we would do so. This is why any bonds are merely an illusion."

"I…" she breathed, the air in her lungs felt suddenly cold. "I can't believe that."

"Why?" he pressed, "Why is it so hard to believe?"

She didn't know what do say. It truly wasn't hard to believe now that things had fallen back into perspective. Even so, such words were against her entire nature.

"I can't believe that…" she repeated numbly, not knowing what to say yet unable to agree vocally.

"Have we given you any reason to doubt such a thing?"

"It just…can't be true…"

"We are not like people you have known before."

It was true: they weren't. She had told herself she might be able to understand Ulquiorra, as if there was more to him. But this was how he was. He did not believe in bonds with anyone. To him, such things were useless, meaningless.

"Even so…"

A question was building in her head now, born from the words he had said.

"Why then, woman? Why can you not believe what is the truth?"

Would he kill her tomorrow if Aizen ordered him to?

She looked into cold, green eyes and saw no emotion within. Nothing.

Her fingers gripped into balls at her sides. "Because…" how could she continue on thinking that he would? Had she allowed her imagination to create a different person altogether? "Because I can't believe that anyone could be so heartless!" Her heart beat frantically as she said the words, but now, she drew back, her voice almost pleading. "I just can't think of people like that."

Silence stretched out between them. The two seemed to be miles and miles apart though they stood right by one another.

"You should cease living in your dream world," he told her coldly. "Do not live in denial."

Her eyes fell to the ground, her hands still clenched. The next moment she was walking towards the stairs that would take her away up to solitude in her room.

At the first step she hesitated. Her voice was quiet as she said, "Maybe I'm not the one in denial, Ulquiorra."

Her steps drew up and away, but she could feel the burning sensation of eyes upon her back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Phew, pretty long chapter this time, so please do review! Not asking for too much, right? I'm posting very consistently!

Next chapter...expect more UlquiHime :) Thank you beta-chu, for putting up with such a long chapter!

And now, some notes on this chapter...

"_I'm coming in," Ulquiorra announced, opening the door. -_I couldn't resist…this line should be very familiar! I love how Ulquiorra from the start seemed to have few boundaries when it came to Orihime.

_He too looked up and out upon the sliver of a moon hanging in the sky. "It is artificial," he explained. "I can control the appearance outside, from the time of day to the weather."_ -This is also somewhat canon, since inside Las Noches there was an artificial sun. Since Ulquiorra is so closely associated with the half-moon, I decided there needed to be one outside his window. Ulquiorra keeps the moon stuck in this phase.

"_Aizen-sama created the system. He gifted it to his prized Espada as a show of his respect. 'The ability to control the heavens', he called it. That is the power of Aizen-sama." _-I wanted to bring in more of that usual theme with Aizen. While the Aizen in this story cannot attempt to replace 'God', Aizen is always someone who aspires for monumental things.

_Even so, he could not help but wonder if she was stronger than she seemed. _-One of the best things about UlquiHime is Ulquiorra's immediate ability to notice Orihime's strength.

_But what was peculiar was the white moth fluttering about his head. _-Given the obvious parallels between HM and SS, I always liked the idea of the Espada using white moths in contrast to the hells butterfly. These moths are not as innocent as they seem…

"_Then, I suppose I am the first person to work with you, Ulquiorra-kun?" _-Technically, Orihime could have been considered as Ulquiorra's first fraccion. Or at least, I like to think so! And it is awesome that its completely cannon Orihime attempted to call him 'Ulquiorra-kun'. Thank you Kubo!

"_And you will call me 'Ulquiorra'." _-Unfortunately, Ulquiorra wasn't so receptive…

_Thankfully, Harribel nodded and said, "I agree. I trust Aizen-sama's choice over any other here. But, even so, I felt I should tell you. If you ever do feel threatened in that way, my team is comprised only of females. Aizen-sama would allow you to switch, I'm sure, if you needed to." -_I've always thought of Harribel as very motherly, especially to girls. While she is normally shown as being fairly reserved, given the loyalty of her fraccion, I expect she treated her group very well. This protectiveness will come into play later.

_He snorted. "Simply having subordinates would not remove loneliness. Even if you were surrounded by many people here every day, would you feel any less alone?" -_I feel this is something both Ulquiorra and Orihime felt deeply. Given Ulquiorra's back-story in UNMASKED, we know he was betrayed by those he considered comrades (they wanted to devour him). So here too in this story, he is someone who has lost his ability to really trust others. Similarly, Orihime is always holding back her inner feelings, which makes her frequently feel isolated. While she might think loneliness is an easy fix by just being around people, she realizes that truthfully this is not the case.

_Her fingers gripped into balls at her sides. "Because…" how could she continue on thinking that he would? Had she allowed her imagination to create a different person altogether? "Because I can't believe that anyone could be so heartless!" _-While Ulquiorra in this story does not physically lack a heart (he is not a hollow), he is still very much heartless, or at least extremely used to ignoring emotions. Where Ulquiorra wishes to remove all illusions from his life, Orihime cannot accept his sharp, black and white views.

_Her voice was quiet as she said, "Maybe I'm not the one in denial, Ulquiorra." _-This line sort of points to how Ulquiorra was consistently being portrayed as someone in denial of his own humanity. It is the same concept here.

**Nypsy:** Very true. Karakura Inc. would consider things very fishy with Orihime suddenly resigning on top of the random attacks. Considering who she went to work for, they would be very certain she hadn't done so on her own. Unfortunately, Aizen planned ahead for that with the paperwork that was delivered. Karakura Inc. cannot do anything legally against HM Global. Orihime is very stuck.

**SasusakuIslovelyy**: Thank you very much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)

-Miss Soupy


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

All of the next day, she stayed in her room. Loneliness had returned to her with full force, and the pale man downstairs only reminded her further of it. He would enter to leave her meals, of which she would pick at and eat only a fraction. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction knowing that she was not behaving as he desired. But it had been he, after all, who had so forcefully burst her bubble and brought her crashing back to the truth. And he, even with his displeased glances, did not speak to her either.

She spent her time trying to imagine what her friends were doing. Were they trying to contact her? Did they camp out at her apartment waiting? Perhaps they felt dejected, knowing that she appeared to have willingly gone to work for Aizen. Even if they were suspicious of her sudden departure, Orihime knew the documents she had signed prevented Karakura Inc. from retaliating against HM Global. There was nothing they could do but go forward. Maybe, the dark part of her considered, they were over her absence. Curling into a ball on her bed, she tried to fight the sting of tears. Such thoughts were useless; she truly didn't know what they were up to as she was so thoroughly cut off.

Her stomach growled, feeling unsatisfied with the meager meals she had been taking. Orihime ignored it with a stubborn frown. Certainly a little hunger wouldn't have her breaking down. Rolling out of bed, she wandered over to the full length mirror situated in the corner of the room.

Turning this way and that, she took a moment to examine herself. She had not really examined the white dress she wore. It had been comfortable enough, but because it was so white, she had felt there was nothing to it. Oddly, she was now noticing that it seemed to have some remarkable detailing work. Still, she was not completely sold on her image.

"I was surprised that it actually looked good on you," a voice spoke from behind her, and she jumped, giving a surprised squeak.

"W-what?" she asked, her heart jumping as she turned to see Ulquiorra. He had brought her dinner.

"The uniform."

"Really?" To say she was surprised at his words would be an understatement. Still, she found herself looking back to her image. "It is really comfortable actually…"

"I chose the design from several options," he informed her. "It was one of the less revealing styles, and so I assumed you would be more comfortable."

Orihime felt slightly hot, thinking of what she might have been forced to wear. It was hard to forget some of the outfits she had seen yesterday in the cafeteria. But they wore such clothes unabashedly, and she was slightly jealous of their bravery. Ulquiorra had made a good choice for her. Orihime's anger dissipated at the revelation of the small favor.

Still, she wondered, "Isn't it a bit…_boring_?"

Ulquiorra placed the tray down on the small desk under the window. "Why? Because it is white?"

She looked over his own white uniform, at the white décor of her room, and then back down at her equally white clothing. "Yes."

"It is better because it is devoid of distracting colors," he told her, turning back towards her with his hands firmly set in his pockets.

Orihime cocked her head at him in the mirror. "How so?"

"When you dress yourself, you pick out bright colors that are appealing. The eye is drawn to what is worn rather than the person underneath. In the white, you cannot hide yourself behind accessories. For instance, your hair stands out exceedingly, yet in your normal attire, it is masked. Now it is quite eye catching."

She looked at herself again. "Oh…I guess that does make sense…" Orihime allowed her fingers to cling to the bright orange strands. "Though, when I was younger, kids used to tease me because of it." Her thoughts became lost in memory, and she continued. "They even cut it once, and it looked horrible and uneven until I fixed it. I never liked short hair because my brother liked it long, but I was too embarrassed to tell him what the other kids did so I pretended to like it." She sighed, curling the strands around her finger. "I guess I should have been true to myself, huh?"

He said nothing, and she turned to face him. She still could feel some anger burning within herself. Orihime clearly remembered his words, his coldness. Still, she thought of his words now. To him, there was something about her that stood out. His eyes were something akin to his entire perception. If he did not rely on feelings, he had to rely on knowledge. He gained knowledge by observing.

_So that's how it is…_

"You know," she told him bravely, deciding she would rather continue to cling to hope than to live miserably. "I think even if you wore the brightest, most colorful clothes ever, your eyes would still stand out in comparison."

This time, she watched his eyes carefully. They traveled over her, the slightest of movements, and then settled upon her own warm brown. It felt somewhat thrilling, she realized, to capture his attention like that.

"…Is that so?" he offered cryptically. Ulquiorra could have denied her, could have told her such an observation meant nothing to him, for she was certain it mustn't. But he seemed, if only a little, more comfortable with her accepting his conversation than for them to return to their quiet stand-off.

And for that, she was extremely grateful.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

As Orihime started her second week working for HM Global, she found herself given significantly more trust. Ulquiorra, rather than sitting with her the entire day, now left her to her own devices in order to complete his own work elsewhere. On Monday, Orihime had regained her work ethic and returned to fixing her tech and researching ways to make it better. Seeing this, Ulquiorra once again rewarded her with some alone time to do her research and freedom to come and go as she pleased. As a result, the winged eye had made its return, fixing her with a green, disinterested, half-lidded stare.

"For your own safety," he explained, handing it over to her. "It can obey many commands, and if there is a problem I will know instantly."

The trade was an easy one to make; no longer would she need to be followed around, a benefit most appreciated when she made trips to the bathroom. If she wanted a drink or a snack, she could go as long as the little eye stayed at her side.

That was not to say that Ulquiorra's presence became rare; he still made a point to check in on her during the day and sometimes had work to do at the other computer in the lab. Over the next couple of days, in fact, he proved to be of great help to her, coming up with ideas for ways she could make her only offensive program more powerful. He told her of the program used frequently by their Special Operations division. It was named 'cero' and involved the rapid formation of energy compressed tightly to one point such that, when released, it sprang forth with high velocity and power and was easily directed.

Such ideas sent her pouring over her work. It was better that way, for now the day could pass quickly, and she could enjoy a sense of accomplishment. There was always that knowledge, in the back of her head, that whatever work she did on her tech could possibly be used against her friends now, rather than for them. But she pushed that idea aside. She would much rather die than harm them, and if the time came, she prayed she would be brave and make the right choices.

Presently, she found herself roaming the halls for the snack machine. She had happened upon it yesterday, but somewhere, she felt she must have taken a wrong turn in the endless halls of white.

"Um, maybe I should go this way?" she asked, looking between two halls that looked nearly identical but split in complete opposite directions. "Uhhh…"

She looked then to her companion. "What do you think? You wouldn't have some sort of snack application, would you?"

The golem blinked at her slowly before batting its wings and zipping down the opposite direction she meant to take. It waited within sight for her to catch up before traveling off again.

"Oh, how lucky!" she exclaimed happily when the vending machine was finally in sight. The eye made no comment.

She was looking her choices over (should she get the apple slices or the chocolate donuts?), when a shadow loomed over her.

Orihime turned, thinking it must be Ulquiorra, an explanation on her lips, "I was just—oh!"

Pale blue eyes glared down at her.

"Um, hello," she said awkwardly. "You are…Grimmjow-kun, aren't you?" She remembered him, of course. Her eyes travelled to his arm, which had been replaced by her tech.

Seeing her glance, he seemed to stiffen, but then his arm shot out, roughly grabbing her by the front of her uniform. He grinned menacingly at her. "Good as new, see?"

Orihime's hands flew to his tight grip, trying to release it. Immediately she regretted saying anything at all. He seemed to be about to crush her with the very hand she had brought back.

"I see, I see!" she exclaimed frantically, struggling to get free. Those piercing blue eyes merely stared down at her, seemingly enjoying her fear. The eye, too seemed alarmed as it buzzed nervously around Grimmjows head, unable to do anything.

"That is enough."

Orihime felt great relief at hearing the slow, deliberate words of the one voice she knew well. Ulquiorra was coming towards them quietly, his eyes watching Grimmjow carefully. For a moment, the other man hesitated, but then his fingers loosened and he backed away.

"Knew you wouldn't be far," Grimmjow said, leering at the shorter man. "Nnoitra says you keep a tight leash."

Ulquiorra ignored him. "What do you want?"

Annoyed that he hadn't gotten a rise out of the shorter man, Grimmjow went on gruffly, "We need you."

For a moment Ulquiorra merely regarded him, and then he must have reached an understanding for he replied, "I have no interest."

"You think I give a shit if you are interested?" Grimmjow said angrily. "You just need to do your job and then get the hell away."

Green eyes flashed dangerously. "My _job_? Do not delude yourself into thinking I owe you, or anyone else, anything at all."

Orihime watched them quietly. The two seemed to be undergoing a battle of wills, and the air was tense as a result. Grimmjow, she noted faintly, had suddenly stepped closer to her as Ulquiorra had denied him his request. Ulquiorra, too, had seemed to notice, for his eyes flickered to her briefly and to the space that was being shortened.

"Your attitude really pisses me off. You have no reason to do anything, so what's it to you to spend a few minutes helping us out? You just want to be a jackass."

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes, and they stared one another down. Eventually though, he relented with, "I will consider it."

With that, Grimmjow moved away from her. "Tonight," he said, and with another glance in Orihime's direction, he left down the hall.

Orihime released a sigh of relief. "He doesn't seem very happy."

She turned to Ulquiorra and thought, ironically, she could say the same about him as well.

"Grimmjow. He is willing to do whatever it takes to get his way. It makes him a complete fool, but dangerous none the less."

Curiously she asked, "What is it that he wants you to do?"

"It does not concern you," he told her, shutting such questions down immediately. "We are leaving."

Glumly she followed him back. It was only after her stomach growled hungrily that she remembered she hadn't even gotten a snack.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Ulquiorra glanced, yet again, at his cellphone. He felt annoyed and distracted, waiting for what he knew would be coming. They ate in silence, which was not completely unusual, but he was even less inclined to reply to anything she said. Grimmjow always had a knack for annoying him. The only solace Ulquiorra could grasp from the situation was that Grimmjow disliked him just as much as he disliked Grimmjow. To be in need of his services, no doubt, heavily bruised the rough man's pride.

He had been quite quick to use the girl to his advantage. It was unfortunate she had been alone at the time; if he had been with her he could have navigated her out of the way, and Grimmjow would have had no trump card. Of course, Ulquiorra knew it was more important to complete his mission and ensure the girl was safe rather than banter with Grimmjow.

Perhaps they wouldn't call. As soon as he thought it, though, he knew it would not be the case. From what he had gathered, the Special Operations forces had taken a one-week break, but were now back to missions. There was definitely more grumbling, and that told Ulquiorra they were not happy about whatever direction they were taking. If he had to be completely honest, he was somewhat curious about what had been transpiring. For the time being, his mission was watching over the girl, but he had a feeling that, soon, it would no longer be his only job.

As if mirroring his pondering about the goings on of the company, the girl asked suddenly, "Ulquiorra? Um, have you heard anything about…Soul Systems?"

He looked intently at his plate for a moment. She of course did not truly want to ask about Soul Systems but instead attempted to veil her true interest. Clever.

"I have not been in the field recently, so I cannot be certain." he told her. "However, I would imagine they are preparing everything possible to defend themselves."

"Yeah…that's probably true." She was obviously disappointed with his lack of information.

Looking at her, he tried to imagine what it was like in her position. She obviously had not allowed herself to forget about the people at Karakura Inc. In fact, he could not say her thoughts of them had deteriorated at all. Such a thing made little sense to him, of course. Why hold on to bonds when you cannot support the people you made them with? He would even go further to say that having bonds in the first place was useless and a mistake. Any sort of circumstance could require you to lose them, change them, or destroy them. It was best not to get attached and to live for one's self and reduce risk. The moment one starts putting his feelings and life in the hands of another is the moment he surrenders himself to pain, treachery, and disappointment. That was why he did not hold anyone close, did not require personal assistants, companions, or lovers. Such things, though perhaps mildly entertaining, were simply risks.

Here was the girl, worrying about people she could not see and had no contact with for days, yet she spent much of her time, he guessed, imagining what they were doing. She was in pain over them daily, yet she had no interest in forgetting them. What was it about a bond that encouraged such actions? Were not feelings of pain more common than feelings of joy? From what he had seen of the world it seemed apparent that negative feelings outweighed the positive. What, then, was the point of such strong feelings at all? It turned people into ignorant fools.

If this girl had not been so ruled by her feelings, she would be free now rather than a captive forced to work with someone she did not agree with. Without her emotions, her caring, wouldn't she have been better off? Happier? And especially, espousing the completely rational road would be immensely safer for her.

Knowing her, understanding her disappointment in not knowing about her friends, he could have offered her some glimmer of hope. He could simply say he knew of no new attacks on Karakura Inc. It would be the truth. But he said nothing, not wishing to feed that habit of hers. She would be better off, he thought, if she forgot about them entirely. If she could learn to let them go, she would become a stronger individual.

Instead he said, "There is no point in worrying about them. This is war, and one side will inevitably lose."

Her face fell as she stared off to some point he couldn't see.

It would be better for her this way, he thought to himself. Soon she would believe this too.

His phone buzzed and he pulled it out. "There is something I need to do," he said, pulling away from the table. She had looked up at the sound too and now gave him a confused expression. "I won't be long." He curled his pointer finger in a come-thither motion, and his flying eye zoomed towards him, following him into the hall before the girl could ask any questions.

After making sure his villa was secured, he walked casually but surely towards the elevators.

"Override any camera present. Create looped feed if need be," he told the eye. Its iris lit up in an eerie green light as they entered the elevator and then floated safely into his pocket. Ulquiorra tapped the number 5.

Moments later he arrived in the 5th section where he entered a conference room. His eye made a sound again, and he knew the room to be secure. Taking out his phone he sent a message.

Ulquiorra contemplated just leaving. He had done his job. But once again his curiosity felt strong. Information could always be helpful, he considered. Perhaps it was best to bear witness to what his colleagues thought.

Nnoitra was the first to arrive, as it was his section that was the chosen location for this meeting. He eyed the room warily, before giving a toothy frown Ulquiorra's way.

"So you decided to show up?" he asked with little interest.

He was followed by Grimmjow, who stalked by to take a seat.

"You seem pretty pissed off lately, Grimmjow," Nnoitra teased, his lone beady eye almost a slit.

"Who the hell asked you?" was the grumbled reply. Ulquiorra cocked an eyebrow.

"Fighting already? Doesn't take long," a lofty voice commented as a pink haired man entered the room as well. Szayel pushed up his glasses as he glanced around at each person. "Thank you for providing us safety here, Cifer-san."

Ulquiorra didn't reply, instead standing stiffly by the door. He was not yet completely sold he should be staying at all.

Starrk entered next, a long frown on his face. He looked completely out of his element and muttered something about staying in bed.

The oldest Espada, Barragan, came after. After he took his seat, Szayel spoke. "No one else is coming today. The others are occupied with other things, or perhaps not the sort who would be interested in such a discussion." He smiled wryly, his glasses glinting. "Wouldn't you like to sit, Cifer-san?"

Coldly, he replied, "No."

Szayel shrugged and continued, "Pity. Now then, let us get started. Obviously after last week's, shall we say, ceasefire, we have now put our missions back into motion. In fact, Aizen-sama seems very anxious for us to continue."

"We shouldn't have let up," Grimmjow spoke, his voice laced with anger. "Why let them gather their defenses? What was he thinking?" There was no mistaking of whom Grimmjow referred, and the others looked at one another, equally confused.

"Couldn't it have just been to mess with them?" Starrk offered, his hands folded behind his head acting as a cushion. "Or perhaps to appear to keep his vow so that the girl felt repaid." Starrk glanced at Ulquiorra. "Maybe she is important somehow."

Ulquiorra acknowledged his question. "I do not know his intentions for her beyond further destroying that which he called 'the heart', or specifically, Karakura Inc. Taking her was meant to weaken them."

"What is their use?" Barragan asked gruffly. "Why does Aizen spare them any time? The best forces are within Soul Systems."

"It doesn't make sense," Nnoitra agreed. "I don't want to waste my time killing those nobodies. It wouldn't even be a fight between them and us."

"Kurosaki is strong." It was Grimmjow who spoke, his blue eyes intense. And then he turned to look at Ulquiorra. "You know, you saw him fight."

He closed his eyes. "As I said before, he was not a threat."

"The hell he isn't!" Hands slammed down on the table and the others gave their comrade disapproving looks at his outburst. "He could be. Isn't that the point? What the hell are we doing wasting our time with them?"

"It is curious," offered Szayel. "We have been directing our data retrieval programs on Karakura Inc. Our leader seems to be looking for something specific."

Starrk looked at the pink haired man sharply. "Karakura? Has he told you what he wants to find?"

Szayel shook his head. "No, he has not said. All information must be delivered to him." He then smiled. "But I have monitored it and snuck peeks, of course. Nothing of note as of yet, but I believe there is more hidden that we will not be able to access by conventional means."

Starrk sighed. "He has had Harribel and myself look for access points into the building itself. He must realize the same thing."

"So," Barragan supplied, "He intends a major operation within Karakura Inc. instead of Soul Systems as he promised. He is lying."

Ulquiorra wanted to scoff at them. If they were only just now realizing that Aizen lied to them, they were truly ignorant. "To Aizen-sama this is all just a game."

"Oh that is obvious," Szayel assured, but Grimmjow and Nnoitra seemed annoyed. Starrk too shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Kurosaki is kept alive and Aizen is looking for something. There might be a connection," Barragan said aloud, thinking.

"If Kurosaki is important to Aizen, then we need to do something about him." Grimmjow said, looking at them. "The girl too. I don't trust her tech."

The others were silent, considering that his statement.

"Perhaps if there is some sort of great power within Karakura, or within Ichigo Kurosaki, Aizen means us as guinea pigs to test it," Szayel offered. "It seems plausible."

"Then what about our little Pet-sama?" Nnoitra asked with a toothy grin. "Where does she fit in all of this?" He looked at Ulquiorra, a sleazy look in his eyes. "Maybe I can guess where she fi-"

"Do not over-tax your mind with too much thinking, Nnoitra," Ulquiorra commented, cutting him off. The lanky man's smile turned into an annoyed sneer. "What is it that you would propose, Grimmjow, if you do indeed think Aizen-sama has plans for them?"

Grimmjow answered quickly without batting an eye. "We should kill them and be done with it."

"Kill them?" Starrk repeated. "I don't know about Kurosaki, but the girl seems harmless. She only came here to protect her friends, didn't she? She doesn't seem like she would harm us."

"It is true - she is not a physical threat. Her only offensive tech was damaged and does not work," Ulquoirra confirmed.

Grimmjow shook his head and argued, "Being important to Aizen makes her dangerous to us. We are nothing to Aizen. We can be thrown away and replaced with someone else. Unless you are fine with that, we have to keep him from getting his way."

Ulquiorra was quick with an answer, "How do you not know that is what Aizen-sama intends? How can you be sure he doesn't want us to turn on the girl?"

No one could answer.

"It is not easy trying to outsmart someone like him," Szayel complained helplessly.

"It is not easy trying to counter someone who created the game," Ulquiorra corrected.

Not producing further ideas, the meeting ended. As Ulquiorra returned, he turned off his camera jamming program and retired to his apartment. The lights were off, signaling that the girl had gone to bed already. Checking the kitchen, he found she had once again washed and put away all of their dishes.

He sighed wearily, loosening his white jacket. The meeting, at the very least, had been informative, and Ulquiorra had a better idea of what was going on. There still was a lot to consider though, for himself and his decisions going forward. As long as Aizen provided the safest path for him, he would follow it. It seemed now that he would have to be more careful. Aizen would only need him for a limited amount of time, he guessed. Until someone else proved to be stronger or held more useful techniques, he would be valued. For others, namely the very physically oriented members of the Espada, he guessed their use would end sooner. Ulquiorra had been careful to reveal abilities he thought Aizen would need while keeping others hidden. That plan still appeared correct.

His robotic eye flew out of his pocket and fluttered before him. He looked towards the stairs, curious. What did the future hold for this strange girl? She too would not be safe here forever. A day might come when her use would be something else. It might even be death, he thought gravely. It was an inescapable reality.

Ulquiorra flicked his fingers towards the stairs and the golem followed, flying up to the third floor while he retreated to his room. As he lay in bed, he watched through his third eye the gentle sleep of an innocent.

What was it like to live in such bliss?

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter is pretty self-explanatory, so I won't be going into further detail this time. Hope people review.

Beta'd by a fancy chu-thing.

**wielbiciel:** I'm glad you like the story! I'm not sure how many chapters this will be, as I'm not completely done with it yet. I've worked out 12 chapters currently, but I'm thinking there will be around 20 altogether. In other words, there is plenty more UlquiHime to come!

-Miss Soupy


	6. Chapter 6

Ch 6

The next morning, Ulquiorra awoke to a high pitched screech coming from upstairs. Within seconds, he was opening the door to the upper level bedroom. He found her clambering away from her bed, a sheet held tightly to her chest for protection.

"Wha…wha…" she gasped, her cheeks red and hair disheveled. "Why is _that_ in my room?" Her arm extended out in the direction of the winged device hovering nearby.

Ulquiorra sighed. Perhaps he should have thought better than to have the little golem fly into her room.

"Recording you sleep, apparently," he deadpanned, feeling her reaction was much more intense than necessary. It was not as if it were watching her dress or shower.

Orihime puffed out a cheek in annoyance. "It surprised me!"

"You were not harmed," he told her without sympathy. "There is no need for such exclamation."

A glare was sent his way, but then it melted into curiosity as she looked at a point behind him. Turning his head, he saw the reason for her stare was the white moth summons.

"Ah…" he sounded, holding out his finger. As it landed, he felt a prick at his fingers, as if a current had hit him. Tingling traveled up his arm, but he resisted the urge to pull away. It was probably Aizen's dark nature that made such messages painful when delivered.

_Ulquiorra, it seems we have finally reached a moment in which to test Orihime-san's resolve. Nnoitra is in need of your assistance in the medical ward immediately._

Once the message was delivered, the moth pulled away and left. Ulquiorra rubbed his fingers together, trying to remove the throbbing.

"There is an emergency," he told her, mind reeling quickly. What could have occurred? Was their secret conspiring already known to Aizen? Ulquiorra felt a sense of dread as he ordered Orihime to dress quickly.

She must have sensed his urgency for within moments she was at the front door ready to leave. They walked briskly, taking the elevator to the 5th section, and soon they were traveling down halls filled with bustling people calling for more bandages and anesthesia. It was obvious that someone had been critically hurt.

"What's going on?" Orihime asked, out of breath, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

Instead of answering, he motioned here to a pair of metal doors. "Here." He opened them, allowing her to enter first.

Her nose scrunched immediately upon entering as the sharp scent of blood found them.

"Please do not move, Tesra-san," a nurse was saying. On a medical table lay a man, pale from blood loss. It coated his uniform in vivid crimson. Lounging against a nearby wall was Nnoitra, his expression lacking any concern. He eyed them boredly as they entered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, more interested in their arrival than the dying man nearby.

Orihime seemed to barely have noticed him, and instead her eyes were focused on the hurt man.

"Get away from me!" he was yelling, squirming away from the touch of the nurse. "I have no use, it is better if you let me die!"

The woman's eyes had shot open at his frantic yells, her face paling even more.

Nnoitra lifted off the wall as they approached. "They say he will be lame so I told em' to just leave him." His beady eye cast to the side to where the man lay. "I have no use for him if he can't be fully healed."

Ulquiorra was not surprised. For Nnoitra, strength was the most important asset. If something would keep his subordinate from being as strong as possible, he would have no want for him.

A soft gasp was released, and Ulquiorra turned to see a horrified look on the girl's face. "That's a horrible thing to say!" she exclaimed, brushing past with a set look on her face. Soon she approached the man; the nurse had already moved away, unable to do anything.

"Didn't you hear me?" Nnoitra called, annoyed that she was now also going to attempt to help. When the lanky man started to move her way, a pale hand shot out and gripped his forearm tightly, causing Nnoitra to freeze his movements.

"If you don't care about his recovery, then you might as well leave," Ulquiorra said lowly, making it obvious he was not to interfere.

The arm was wrenched out of his grasp, and Nnoitra snorted. "Fine. Maybe the godly healer can do something." His words were laced with thick doubt, but he was already heading out the metal doors.

Looking back at the table, the man, Tesra, had calmed significantly upon seeing his leader leave him. He fell back on the table looking completely defeated.

At his settling, Ulquiorra saw Orihime reach for her tiny pins that were her tech. Seeing it, he told the nurse confidently, "There is no need for your assistance."

With a bow she left too, and the three of them were alone.

"This won't hurt one bit." Orihime was soothing, her voice kind and soft.

Tesra regarded her with his lone eye, but it lacked any care. "I just want to die. Is it impossible to grant me that one thing?"

She hesitated, looking at his obvious seriousness. Ulquiorra wondered what she would do.

"Why? Why do you want to give up?" she asked, her eyes full of worry.

"Did you not hear?" came the weak reply. The pale man blinked hard, as if trying to clear his vision. "Nnoitra-sama has no use for me. I have let him down. I deserve this type of death. I do not deserve glory."

"I don't think that is true at all," she told him, her eyes shining with honesty. "I think he does care about you!"

Tesra snorted which then caused him to wince. "No, I understand him well. He is right to abandon me if I cannot perform my duties."

Without his knowing, Ulquiorra saw, she had been clearing everything from the wound which had severed the muscles of his sword arm and then snaked down across his torso.

"Tell me how you got this wound," she told him, keeping his mind occupied. Ulquiorra could not help but feel somewhat impressed by her tactics.

"I was sent alone to cause trouble for Soul Systems. I was meant to be a-" he gulped in air, "A distraction. More showed up than I could handle, and this happened."

Her hands were back at her tech as she asked, "Then how did you get here?"

Ulquiorra blinked. The blood was already starting to cease its flow under the gentle glow of the healing shield.

"I…Nnoitra-sama brought me back. When I didn't return, he must have figured…" the man stopped talking, looking instead at the smiling girl near him.

"See, if he didn't care he would have left you, wouldn't he?" The flesh on his chest was already starting to meld back together. "You are here because your leader did not leave you behind."

Tesra's singular brown eye widened at her statement. "Y-you…" but his words seemed to fail.

Orihime, unabashed, found a wet washcloth left by the nurse and proceeded to finish cleaning the area that had once been a horrible wound, making sure all the blood was mopped up. Tesra could only watch her in wonder, as if he was witnessing something that couldn't possibly exist. Ulquiorra could understand the feeling. This was not something that occurred in their world. For them, it was something entirely unnatural. But he had been around the woman enough to know that for her, it was as easy as breathing. That kindness leaked from her every pore. Being unable to help someone who was hurt would no doubt harm her greatly. It did not matter that Tesra got hurt for the wrong reasons; she somehow saw past that to the frightened desperate soul. It was quite remarkable.

Standing back, Orihime wiped the back of her hand across her brow. "I think you should be just fine now. Make sure you rest. There might be some soreness." She smiled comfortingly at him.

Tesra looked down at his now flawless skin, a hand feeling it to verify its constitution. Abruptly he looked up straight into her eyes. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Ah…I'm Orihime Inoue. And you?"

"Tesra Lindocruz," came the reply. "I will remember you and your odd behavior," he told her, swinging his legs over the side of the table.

She nodded, noticing Ulquiorra was already walking away. With a final wave she said, "Nice to meet you, Tesra-kun."

Ulquiorra looked down at her. Her face was flushed but there was an unmistakable smile on her face. She was proud of what she had done. It was an image that hit somewhere deep within him; that unreserved happiness and pride, that incredible sense of accomplishment. It had been born from helping another, not from helping herself. She had not held such joy since he brought her to this place. But with this small deed, her true self had surfaced, for that was what this appearance really was. Her face had brightened, if only for this moment, revealing a beautiful, vibrant young woman rather than the fragile pale girl she had become. And strangely, he found he wished to see her like this more and more, as if his eyes hungered for such an image. Ulquiorra could not understand why, but he tucked such a sight into his memory like he had the image of her sleeping face.

"I hope he will be alright," she was saying, somewhat breathlessly. "He seems to really care about that Nnoitra guy, even if he is creepy."

"He appeared to accept your encouragement," Ulquiorra admitted. "He owes you his life."

Surprisingly, she reddened at this, embarrassed. "N-no. I don't want any repayment! I'm just glad I could help." She placed a hand against her chest, over her heart. "It's what I am meant to do, I think."

Ulquiorra felt a tightness within his own chest at her words, but was unable to place it. Immediately, he felt his usual thoughts of denial regarding her words and her view of herself and the world. They were merely spoken out of naivety and nothing more. Tesra could die tomorrow of a different wound, and her work would have gone wasted. Or, he thought darkly, tomorrow Tesra could go and kill one of her comrades. This was no story-book fairy tale where things simply worked out. She had taken a great risk by healing the man.

He wished to tell her so, to bring her back down like he had in the past. Certainly he didn't want her to think he agreed with it. He didn't, couldn't. Ulquiorra knew better. But she was still grinning when he looked her way, and her eye caught his stare. He saw trust there in her eyes, and he realized she had told him something she had not told anyone else. She had confided with him a thought that was personal.

His throat felt suddenly dry. He could not say anything. Not in this moment, for it was hers entirely. To take it away would be an action more monstrous than he cared to perform.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The next couple of days for them were uneventful. Orihime was still attempting to fix and perfect her tech while Ulquiorra continued to do…whatever it was he did. She had, as of yet, been unable to discern what he was doing on most occasions. He had seemed a bit different ever since she had healed Tesra, although she couldn't exactly place how. She caught him watching her more often than before. He had always watched her, though it had been to ensure her proper behavior. Now he seemed almost…_curious_ as he looked at her. Ulquiorra did not talk about it, which in itself was strange. One thing she knew about Ulquiorra was that he would give his opinion if he thought something contradicted his views. Could he possibly be considering her philosophy? The idea excited her; perhaps she was finally getting through to him. But then he was still much the same, quiet, cold man he always was. He still spoke to her bluntly, did not go out of his way to converse with her and, for the most part, seemed to ignore her existence.

She sighed. Maybe she was misunderstanding things. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. Covertly, she glanced at him. He was making notes on something, his pale fingers moving his pen so carefully. Perhaps a plan of some sort; she wasn't sure. His head was bowed over his writing, black bangs brushing gently against his nose. The expression he held was contemplative, and the green of his eyes looked infinite. Compared to her klutzy behavior, he always seemed so elegant.

She wanted to know about him. Lately she had been trying to imagine him, his past, what he had been like as a child, how he ended up working for Aizen. There were so many things she wanted to ask of which she had been unable. Their relationship, if you could even call it one, had been so limited, so closed, even though they were forced to be in such close proximity. Now that it had been two weeks, her anxiousness, her desire to know, had almost turned into an obsession. In her defense, she didn't have a lot to do with her free time. Ulquiorra preferred quiet thinking, and as she didn't seem to be allowed to leave the building, there wasn't much choice but to follow his lead.

Trying to wheedle out some information, she had taken to talking about her own life. She told him about her past, growing up, including a lot about her brother. But when she tried to ask about his childhood, he usually made non-committal comments. "My childhood was uneventful." "I had no particular favorite subject in school." "No, I did not collect stuffed animals."

One thing was certain: Ulquiorra was very good at evading.

"Did you know I saw Tesra-kun in the cafeteria today, and he actually nodded his head at me when I waved?"

His eyes had stayed focused on his work. "Is that so…"

She nodded animatedly. "Maybe we will actually become friends."

"I doubt as much."

She sighed longingly. "I really…miss my friends." The words had come out of her mouth before she even realized she had thought of it. It was like her heart had spoken for her.

He had looked up from his work, and she immediately wished the words back. She was always so careful not to talk about them, not to mention Karakura Inc. Not only did she not want to cause trouble, but she didn't want to remind herself of all she had lost.

Quickly, she tried to recover. "I know you would probably say I should forget about them since I work here now. But it's not that easy."

He raised a thick eyebrow, but then surprised her when he said, "Tell me what exactly you miss about them."

She blinked, startled, but then thought a moment. "Well, Tatsuki-chan is like a sister to me. She always stood up for me and was there for me. We talked all the time. Being able to confide in someone, share experiences with them and thoughts and emotions…I miss that a lot."

"What else?" he prompted her unexpectedly.

"Well…there is also Sado-kun and Ishida-kun. They are really good friends, very kind, always helped me if I was behind. Ishida-kun and I both were in a sowing club together in college. He is really good at designing clothes. Sado-kun plays in a band and would always invite me to his concerts. Sometimes I played tambourine with him."

Her heart squeezed, remembering all she used to do with her loved ones. How much fun she had with them… how important they were to her.

"And?"

"And Keigo-kun and Mizuiro-kun and Chizuru-chan and Michiru-chan and Ryou-chan. I've known them for a long time. And then my new friends from Soul Systems. Especially Kuchiki-san - she was so nice to me and helped me train…I-" She stilled, remembering that she was the last of her friends she saw before Ulquiorra appeared. "I never caught up with her. I…" She tried desperately to force the feelings and memories away. It had been a mistake to talk about them. Her heart was torn, stretched so far away from them and now it was physically hurting. How could her heart possibly exist if it was not shared with another? It couldn't. Such a thing would cause a loneliness that was impossible for her to bear.

"And what of Ichigo Kurosaki?" He seemed to be ignoring her discomfort, instead pressing her further. Her brown eyes went wide at his words, her cheeks felt suddenly hot.

"K-kurosaki-kun…" How long had it been since she said his name? It felt like years and years, yet it had been under two weeks.

"Certainly he was important to you."

"Y-yes, he was, no, _is_. He is important to me," she stammered out, her heart pounding. "He's the bravest…most heroic person I know."

Ulquiorra's green eyes seemed to intensify to the point where she could barely hold his gaze. "He is special to you." It was not a question, but instead a statement of fact.

"Y-yes." Her heart thundered, and she wished she could run away and hide from his gaze. His eyes could have been burning through her with cold fire.

"You have romantic feelings for him."

She sucked in a breath. This too was a statement, something of which he was assured. But the way he said it, with no emotion, made it seem so cheap, so worthless, as it no doubt was to him.

"That's not your business," she told him quietly, both horrified and angry. She cursed her shaking voice as she said it, but her emotions were steadily running away from her now under his gaze.

He had the nerve to shrug nonchalantly. "It is not a mystery, is it? It was obvious from the small amount I watched you."

She looked away, embarrassed and ashamed that she had allowed herself to be so obvious.

"I wonder though," he continued, "why you continue pining for him when he does not return the same affection. Why do you insist upon torturing yourself over him and your other friends when it would be so much healthier to just move on?"

"Y-you're wrong! I…just because he doesn't…he could still…" she was floundering, sinking into an endless sea. She felt her fear, her despair, bubble up from that deep place she kept it so carefully confined.

"What?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "You think if you changed yourself somehow you could appeal to him in some way? Or are you hoping he will suddenly notice you in the way you wish? Woman, even you must know that is a foolish thought. Merits will not change his disinterest in you."

Tears were stinging at her eyes at his blunt honesty. But even with her anger and her desire to completely deny his words, Orihime found she could not dismiss them. They stuck in her mind and gripped her heart. His words were the same doubting whispers she heard within her own head from time to time. To hear it out loud from someone like him though…it was like a punch to the heart.

"What is it you want, Ulquiorra?" she asked shakily, wiping at the tear leaking down her cheek. "Do you want me to let them go simply because it hurts me? Of course that might be easier for me. It might make sense to just move on. But it wouldn't be rewarding, in any way. It would only serve to destroy my heart entirely." The organ she spoke of stuttered weakly within her chest as she looked at Ulquiorra through watery eyes. "Is living without a heart all that enjoyable for you? Do you feel any better purpose than I do? Do you feel safer?" She lifted her chin, her eyes regaining some of her strength as she seemed to look down at him. "I choose not to be controlled by fear."

She turned away then and didn't talk to him the rest of the day, going straight to her room once they returned to his place. Ulquiorra was not sure what possessed him to push her like he had; he should have known the consequences. In truth, he had lately given up on her changing, especially since she had healed Tesra. If her desire to help others made it so she must help even her enemies, then so be it. It ensured she would do as Aizen asked, at the very least.

As of late, she had talked about her past. He found he did not mind it so much; it helped him gain insight on what had formed her current self. It was surprising she had not had a perfect childhood. In fact it was quite unfortunate, from her parents being abusive to her only close family member dying in a car accident when she was quite young. It was a mystery how she had managed to remain as bubbly and hopeful as she was. She had explained that it was the friends she had made that gave her purpose and strength. It had been a statement he did not argue against but did not accept or dwell on either.

He sighed, running his fingers through his shaggy black hair as he stepped out of the shower, a towel secured firmly around his waste. Hesitating, he stopped in front of his bathroom mirror. Using a hand towel, he wiped the surface to clear the condensation and peered at himself. It had been a long while since he had actually paid attention to what he saw in his reflection. The normal things were there, as expected. Green eyes, pale skin, twin teal streaks flowing down his face. Certainly his appearance was abnormal, but that hardly mattered to him. Now he found himself wondering what the woman must think of him and his appearance. Surprisingly she had never shown fear of his appearance, only of his possible actions.

His eyes lowered to his bare chest where a dark tattoo stood out against his unusually pale skin. Thin fingers moved to touch the mark, feeling not for the tattoo, but for the faint thump of what lay below. She had touched her heart when she told him what she felt she was meant to do. As if the two things are connected. What did he do of which he could speak similarly? He knew the answer the moment he had wondered. Nothing, for there was nothing that he held important.

_Do you feel any better purpose than I do? Do you feel any safer?_

Her words echoed in his mind.

He certainly was not safe, that much was obvious. And for purpose, he had little beyond keeping Aizen as pleased as possible in order to prolong his own life. His number four tattoo filled his vision. It was meant to be a symbol of pride for an Espada, but he knew it was nothing more than a shackle. Perhaps one day, she too would be given a tattoo and truly become one of them. It was possible, if Aizen saw enough need for her tech. For a moment, he thought about her and what it might be like. She would do it; all Aizen would need to do is say it would save the lives of her friends. Even if it destroyed her, he thought, she could do so with a smile on her face. It was something beyond him, something unfathomable.

_I choose not to be controlled by fear._

Ulquiorra stared into his own eyes. Fear was what dictated his life. It dictated the lives of all of them. So far he had only known Aizen to be without fear. But this woman was different. She did not claim to be without fear. She simply would not allow it to control her life.

Was it possible to reach such a point?

A noise entered his mind or, more specifically, a voice, and his attention was called away.

"_Tell him I'm sorry…"_

For a moment he saw her, sitting on her bed looking directly at him. But it wasn't really him. Instead he was looking through his robotic eye, which had sent him the message.

"_I know he just doesn't understand. Getting mad doesn't help. It's not very fair if I want him to talk to me yet I get mad if I don't like what he tells me. So, I really do apologize. Good night, Ulquiorra."_

He blinked, coming back to himself. The faint tightness in his chest had returned, directly under his tattoo.

One thing was certain: it would never be possible to reach a point where fear did not control him while he remained loyal to Aizen. And, he could admit, his best hope in understanding a life without being controlled by fear lay in the woman in the room above him.

Honestly, Ulquiorra felt he would rather take his chances with her than with Aizen any day.

* * *

><p>AN: So Ulquiorra is starting to see some benenfit to Orihime being in his presence. Very good sign, especially for someone who enjoys denying things. And Orihime is getting used to Ulquiorra a bit too. She tries to understand his behavior, and wanting to know more of him will come into play later in an interesting way. Keep the reviews coming; they really brighten my day!

Beta'd by a chu with a big tv.

**Anne the Fire:** I'm glad you decided to give this fic a try! I know it started out fairly slow, but it was needed as a lead in to the 'meat' of the story. Anyways, thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy!

**Nypsy:** For the sake of the story, yeah, there is nothing Karakura Inc. can do to get her back legally. And Harribel…I don't remember if I have written for her before this story, but I easily see her as a woman other girls could look up to (since that is what her fraccion really does, it says a lot about her). Also, the secret meetings…well, I like the characters a lot, and always sort of…rooted for them. Anyways, I'd imagine anyone who had even a small understanding of Aizen would try and be wary. Thanks for reviewing!

**Wielbiciel:** Thank you very much! I really appreciate your faithful reviewing :)

-Miss Soupy


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

It was the weekend, and Ulquiorra decided it was time to give Orihime a better idea of the vastness of HM Global. Beyond the cafeteria, there were also gyms, training rooms, and even a fairly sizable library. She wanted to linger here - after trying out a few machines in the gym, of course.

She squinted at the book shelves, reading the titles before her. "I have never heard of most of these." They seemed to be entirely non-fiction.

"It is just a small collection." He told her, watching. "Most employees on this level are less inclined towards…knowledge."

Looking at him, she gave a lopsided smile at his careful yet clear words regarding his colleagues.

"What about reading for entertainment?"

He shrugged, scanning the shelves quickly. "I have never looked for such things here, but perhaps they do exist."

Orihime blinked, her finger dragging along the spines. "You don't like to read fiction?"

"What would be the purpose of doing so?"

"Because stories are so _interesting_!" she exclaimed, her face holding a comedic seriousness. "Being able to imagine everything that is happening and the emotions they make you feel…books are very magical."

His head turned away from her adamant words to examine a nearby shelf. "They simply trick the mind, nothing more. Why would I wish to feel such things over a series of events that did not truly happen?" He pulled out a novel and handed it to her. It seemed quite old.

"Ohhh," she said, looking it over. "It's a book on classic fairy tales. I'm surprised something like that is here."

"There are some children here; perhaps it is for them," he guessed, also surprised at the sight of the book.

She looked up, a strange light in her eyes. "Do…do you think I could borrow it? Sora used to read me these stories…it's been so long and…it'd give me something to do!"

Ulquiorra eyed her pleading face a moment, finding it somewhat comical how much she seemed to want the collection. "If you wish," he told her, causing a huge smile to erupt on her face.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra!" She was holding the book to her breast as if it was some valuable treasure.

All the way back to the apartment, she was scanning the pages and blurting out her shock upon seeing certain stories she had long forgotten about.

"….and then there is Sleeping Beauty. It's not a bad story. A bit dark I suppose, but most of these fairy tales are. She is cursed, you see, to fall into eternal sleep on her 18th birthday when she pricks her finger on a spindle. Only her true love's kiss will wake her, which, of course, he does." She was sitting in the front room, her legs curled up beneath her on the couch as she looked off into nothing.

"And how does that make any sense?" he asked, looking up from the paper he had been reading at the side table across the room. "A kiss is able to destroy a curse? And what exactly is determining who is one's 'true love' in this situation? The one who cast the curse? The one who fell asleep? Or was it the hero who gave the kiss?"

She looked at him as if he had just discovered something immeasurable. "Well I…don't really know." For a moment her nose disappeared into the book as she read, trying to understand better and perhaps answer him. And then, "It seems like it was a miracle, wasn't it? It wasn't about the kiss at all, but the love they both felt. I think the moral is 'love conquers all'."

He leaned back in his chair, his arms folded about him. "Then tell me, why was the kiss needed at all? If it was truly just 'true love', shouldn't that have been enough to wake her once they equally felt it for one another?"

Orihime's eyebrows came together again and she went back to her studying of the story. She was quite odd, taking such a question so seriously. He did not truthfully care about the answer but instead felt some form of entertainment in her need to understand. She was such a strange woman.

"You know," she relented, sitting back with a sigh. "I don't know. When Sora used to read it to me I was too focused on the kiss to consider the possibility of it all. The kiss just seemed…so perfect." Her brown eyes took on a soft appearance as her finger ran across the picture. "Of course, things aren't usually so perfect in real life."

He didn't say anything, unsure of what she was getting at. She closed the book with a _chenk_ and set it aside. "To a girl, the first kiss is really important. With someone you like…you want it to be so…_special_." She looked up, though her cheeks seemed slightly pink. "You've probably kissed a lot of girls."

Surprised, he stared at her as if she had morphed into another being altogether. "What…why do you believe this to be the case?"

It made little sense to him. Wasn't kissing just a sign of physical attraction? Was it not just lust and done because it was pleasurable?

"You are confident and very smart, yet quiet and so would appear very mysterious. Girls like that." She hesitated, looking suddenly shy. "And…your eyes are so beautiful."

He glanced away, suddenly self-conscious yet not truly understanding why. "That is inconsequential. And kissing is not all that extraordinary, woman. Is it not one of the more simple gestures?"

Here she did flush, her brown eyes widening. "I…I know!" she declared, before lowering her voice modestly. "Like I said, I think it should be special."

With something akin to bemusement, he took in her fidgeting form and discomfort. Yet oddly, she was still willing to talk about it. Honestly, he did not know what possessed him to continue along this vein, yet he was loathe to simply shut her down. Instead, he asked, "And what if I have? What does it mean to you if I have been with many women?"

"W-well, erm…" Orihime looked up into his eyes trying to read him. "It might mean I was closer to understanding who you are. But… now, I don't think that's actually the case. Even if it was true, I don't think it meant much to you. And perhaps it didn't mean much to those women either."

Her reply had surprised him. "Why is it that you wish to understand me?" he asked suddenly, unable to stop is curiosity.

She smiled at him. "It's important to try to understand the people around you. And…I think you are…special."

His bright green eyes widened. _Special?_ Why would she think such a thing after all he had done to her, after all he had taken away? It was beyond him. He didn't reply because he couldn't find words to speak to her. His thoughts seemed so scrambled in his mind, which was an unusual thing for him. Orihime stretched out on the couch, yawning. He folded up his paper and stood, also feeling fatigued.

"I guess I should go to bed." She stood and followed behind him on the way to the stairs. But before he could leave, he felt a slight tugging at his sleeve. Ulquiorra stilled a moment before turning to see her looking at where her fingers curled against the fabric of his jacket.

"Thank you for talking to me," she breathed gratefully, still not looking at him.

The usual hardness in his eyes left as he looked down at her, at her hand clutching at him. He could not find reason to dislike it.

"It…was not torture," he told her lamely, not used to giving any sort of compliment yet thinking she might understand his meaning. Oddly, she did not let go yet and seemed to be struggling with something.

"Do you…think I am a fool?"

The words had been said so softly that at first he wasn't sure if she said them at all. But she was staring at his caught sleeve so intensely that he knew the question had been real. Neither moved nor spoke for what seemed liked ages. His mind seemed to be moving suddenly very sluggishly. All but her question seemed forgotten.

Unable to truly think, unable to rationalize, Ulquiorra found himself behaving abnormally. His hand moved, pale fingers securing themselves against the soft skin of her chin, pulling her face and eyes upward. Her breath seemed to catch, eyes widening at his bizarre actions, but she did not move away from him.

"No, you are no more a fool than I," he told her, surprising them both. "Truthfully, I see you as a strong woman, even encompassing all of your obvious flaws. Naïve, irrational, far too open…but strong, none-the-less."

She seemed frozen in her astonishment, and he took that moment to retract his hand away from her. At that action, she finally blinked and came back to herself, releasing him as well. Her cheeks were pink, and once she realized it, she looked down again, biting her lip. Giving him a curt nod, she teetered away up the stairs and into her room, closing the door behind her. Ulquiorra watched her, his head slightly tilted to the side in puzzlement.

Somewhere deep inside, Ulquoirra felt that she must have been happy at his words.

With a sigh, he turned back to the couch, leaning towards the lamp on the end table. Before he clicked it off, however, he noticed she had left her book behind, so he scooped it up with one hand and turned the light off with the other. Retreating back to his room, he set it in his book shelf, thinking he would return it to her tomorrow. If the price of her happiness was this constant pressure in his chest, Ulquiorra thought, he would rather suffer with that than any other pain.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Currently, Orihime felt quite pathetic. What had possessed her to ask Ulquiorra such a question? It could have been horrible for her. She could have been fleeing to her room in tears, once again feeling upset with his harsh words and thoughts. Instead she felt, well, quite light and definitely happy.

She curled tightly against her pillow as if trying to hold this elusive happiness to herself. Perhaps it was a dream she was waking from. That seemed more plausible than what had happened. Tentatively, she touched her cheek, and after confirming it felt hot, she immediately squeezed the pillow again. It was true - Ulquiorra had actually complimented her. A _compliment_. Words of praise had really fallen from his lips, and the remarkable part was that it wasn't said sarcastically and that the words had been about _her_.

After all this time, he did not find her a fool. After all of his obvious disagreements with her personal views, he, by some miracle, saw her as strong. She squeezed her eyes shut, releasing a strangled noise somewhere between and squeal and a groan. Orihime knew how ridiculous she was acting. It was a small thing wasn't it? But no, it couldn't be a small thing, because _Ulquiorra _did not say things lightly. This was different than a good friend of hers complimenting her, for a friend had it in their intentions for her to be happy and satisfied. A friend would protect her feelings. After all, Tatsuki had done so for her countless times. Ulquiorra did not need to keep her happy or satisfied. He did not need to protect her feelings, as was proven when he stated whatever he wished without thought of her getting upset.

But why? Why did he do it? After all this time, she was positive he was simply putting up with her because it was his job, positive that he did not think anything of her beyond that and certainly wouldn't think her strong. And how easy it was for her to just think of him as cold and uncaring, even while she was trying to find out about him. Even though she felt sorry she had misjudged him, it could not be entirely her fault when he was so loathe to reveal anything of his past.

Perhaps she had placed her focus wrongly. Maybe he was ashamed or wanted to hide something. It would be wrong of her to pry where she was not wanted, and even more, he was allowed to move on and forget if he so desired. Certainly there were parts of her past she did not wish to reveal, things she was not so happy in remembering. She did not truly understand the ramifications of going through with the body enhancements that members of Soul Systems and HM Global went through. Orihime had heard stories about the pain, about how it entirely changed their lives. Rukia had quietly explained that it was something like dying and being born again.

Such experiences seemed like a tightly kept secret, but she also felt, deep down, a fear of knowing. Given her skill, she could possibly get a loan to undergo the surgeries. Fear of the unknown had always kept such ideas at bay, though, instead allowing her to focus on her work and her friends.

How brave they must be to go through with such a thing. Brave, or perhaps desperate, as she thought many people must have also been. Suddenly, she seemed to see Ulquiorra differently. He was not someone who delighted in the misfortune of others. He did not, from what she saw, thrive on bloodshed. He simply was someone who saw the world in clear-cut black and white. Complete rationalization, cause and effect. The things he said did not result out of some need to harm but instead were said because they made perfect sense to him. He was correctly able to name what he viewed her flaws to be yet still could forgive her of them in his own mind. For someone like Ulquiorra to say such a thing, her strength would have needed to completely overshadow that which he viewed as her weakness.

Her lip wobbled slightly, feeling such a clutching in her chest at the weight of his words.

And it was with a newfound tenderness that she thought, smiling to herself_, what a strange man…_

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Today they were in one of the training rooms. She needed to test some of the changes she had made on her shielding program, and thus Ulquiorra had provided the solution.

"O-ok, I'm ready," she said shakily, a thin see-through shield flickering before her palms. Ulquiorra stood opposite her, looking quite relaxed.

"I will start with very controlled output," he announced, pointing his finger in her direction.

She couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. It had been so long since she had used her tech. Orihime was not worried about being harmed herself; rather, she was worried her tech might perform worse than expected.

A small stream of green light flew from Ulquiorra's finger, expanding out as it went. She could feel it, a pulsing heat shooting her way with but a flimsy barrier erected before her. As it made contact with the shield she saw the orange material expand to compensate for the blast before it shattered into pieces that, within a moment, disappeared. The three magnetized pieces that had served as the scaffold for the three-pointed shield remained stationary floating in space.

"The southwest corner of your shield was not as efficient at absorbing the attack," he commented, his hand falling back to his side.

Orihime held out her hand and the three pieces fell into her palm. "That's Lily."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I call this piece 'Lily'," she said with a smile, holding it between her fingers. "I created three separate pieces with different specific jobs. Lily was created to help the speed of the shield's movement. The northern piece is the best at absorbing damage, isn't it? That is 'Baigon'. The last piece is 'Hinagiku'. It spreads out the area of attack evenly to all sides."

"Then your problem," he said, thinking, "would be that the piece with your best defense should be in charge of a larger portion of the attack. While for stability's sake it would be helpful to make an attack disperse across the shield, you are wasting one part while putting unnecessary stress on another."

She thought a moment, looking at the three petal shaped pieces in her hand. "That…does make sense. I had been trying to find a way to make Lily better at defense, but the design for all three pieces is unique and I couldn't find a good way to do so… But if I changed a few things with the program of the three…it would be a faster fix." Orihime blinked up at him in awe. "You're really smart, Ulquiorra! That was a great idea."

"Ah," he sounded, looking away for a moment. "Let us continue with a higher power level with greater velocity."

They continued this way, Ulquiorra attacking with Orihime shielding. Together they were able to brain-storm different ways to improve weaknesses with her tech, including the speed it reformed, the power it shared between all three points and the way it could enlarge and shrink itself while still staying stable. She honestly felt excited to get back to the lab the next day to start fixing some of her program code. It had been so long since she felt this excited about something she had done.

Ulquiorra was retrieving some of the data recorded from their exercise when someone entered the training room lab that they were occupying.

"Oh how lucky, I get to meet finally meet our newest employee."

She looked up to find a man with shockingly pink hair. "Ah…"

Ulquiorra was quick to ask, "What are you doing here?"

"Cifer-san, I merely wanted to ask for your services again, if you have the time," his smile seemed innocent enough, but the way his glasses glinted in the light gave him an eerie appearance. "I wish I could replicate your ability, but as of yet I have failed to do so. You truly are gifted."

Orihime watched them intently, trying to figure out what they might be talking about. Ulquiorra didn't seem very happy.

"When?"

Szayel was now looking at Orihime. "But aren't you going to at least introduce us?"

Ulquiorra's eyebrow ticked in annoyance. "Szayel Aporro Granz, this is Orihime Inoue. Now, answer me or I will not even consider it."

The pink haired man smiled, bowing politely to her. "It is very nice to meet you, Inoue-san. Your tech is quite…intriguing." Then he looked back to Ulquiorra innocently. "I will be sure to let you know when, Cifer-san. I'm not completely sure myself." Amber eyes looked around curiously. "Is there anything I could do? I would be only happy to help Inoue-san with any work that she needs done…"

"There is no need for such an offer," Ulquiorra quickly said. "She has already been given whatever she requires."

The smile faltered from Szayels face at his turning down the offer. Obviously he had felt it extremely gracious, or he had desired something of his own. "Of course, my apologies," he offered, not seeming sorry in the slightest. "I will be getting back then. It was a pleasure, Inoue-san, Cifer-san."

He bowed himself out, amber eyes flickering to Orihime one last time before he finally departed.

"Szayel Aporro is a scientist here," Ulquiorra explained. "He would of course find your tech intriguing but would distort it into something more monstrous. It is a habit of his."

Orihime shivered at the thought. She definitely had no desire to allow her tech to fall into anyone else's hands, especially not someone like that.

"What does he want you to do?" she asked, curious, but he shook his head.

"It is nothing worth mentioning," was his reply, gathering his things and leading her away.

She still felt curious, but allowed it to drop.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

That night, she noticed Ulquiorra once again inspecting his phone more than usual. And as before, he eventually received a text and left shortly after, telling her he would return in a little awhile. Left to her own devices, Orihime made some notes about what she wanted to work on tomorrow and then found herself quite bored. Remembering her book, she looked for it on the couch where she thought she left it but soon realized it was not there.

"I thought I left it here…"

She continued looking, overturned a few pillows, digging her hands in the couch, but had no luck in finding the book. Hanging herself upside down, she even checked underneath. Nothing.

"Hmmm…"

Glancing around the room, she saw no trace and therefore decided Ulquoirra must have put it away somewhere. Her eyes fell on the door that led to his bedroom, a room she had never gone in before. Surely he wouldn't mind if she went in really quick to get the book back. She had been looking forward to reading Beauty and the Beast. Slowly, Orihime crept over to the door and stood outside, hesitating. She _could_ wait. He didn't seem to think he would be gone too long, but then again he didn't give her an exact timeframe for his return.

Biting her lip, she fidgeted, wrestling with her conscience. She would be really quick, of course, and he would probably not even know she had been in there. The eye camera was gone as well; she had seen him take it with him. Swallowing hard, she placed her hand on the doorknob and turned, pushing the door open. The room was dark, so she felt along the wall for the light switch and flipped it.

She felt slightly disappointed by the plainness she found within. Orihime knew she should have known that Ulquiorra would have preferred a simple décor. The room was larger than hers but seemed to hold a lot of empty space. Ulquiorra didn't appear to care about decorating his quarters with objects, instead only having whatever furniture he would actively use. A bed, a dresser, a book shelf, etc. Sighing heavily, she walked towards the bookshelf and sure enough, she recognized the spine of the book she was looking for. Pulling it out, a folder, which had been nestled tightly along side it, fell to the floor and, to her horror, a few papers dislodged themselves to scattered around.

"Oops!" she called to nobody, laying the book down to collect the papers. She went about shuffling them into a neat pile, but then gasped, nearly dropping them all over again, when she noticed a picture paper-clipped to the front of a document.

The picture was of a man.

"Ulquiorra?" she questioned, confused, because though the man held an obvious resemblance, he was not completely the same.

The man was handsome and had shaggy black hair much like Ulquiorra's, yet was kept in a shorter style. His eyes were less exotic, looking more average than Ulquiorra's eyes did now, but were unmistakably green. His complexion was pale, yet not as pale as it currently was and he also lacked teal tear markings. Yet the man in the picture carried much of the same, bored, unemotional expression Ulquiorra normally had.

It had to be him.

The document beneath it seemed to be a bio page and held the first name 'Tokio', but the last was blotted out. There were other notes, date of birth, weight, height and the like, but Orihime kept glancing towards the picture, trying to put things together. So keen on this new discovery was she that she missed the door opening and the footsteps that followed, until a voice from behind caused cold dread to flow across her body.

"What are you doing in my room, woman?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I really liked this chapter. It felt 'lighter' to me, and they are acting a bit more friendly with one another. Yes, I do realize it was probably cruel to leave a cliffhanger, but reviews might make the next chapter come out faster...haha...(my failed attempt at bribery). Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!

This was beta'd by a beard-cultivating chu. Ugh.

And now to my lovely reviewers...

**Metsfan101: ** Thank you for reading and reviewing! :)

**Nypsy: **I'm glad you enjoy Orihime's ability to wheedle her way into Ulquiorra's thoughts and bombard him with questions as much as I do! If anyone could possibly make him uncomfortable, it would have to be her. As far as Orihime's unrequited love, well, I can't exactly leave it out of the story. Her love is so much a part of her character and part of her development, it wouldn't be Orihime to keep it out. She'd be OOC, in my eyes, because without that love she has nothing to grow from.

I do think Tesra is interesting; it's too bad he didn't have more manga time. As far as fangirling him…I've seen most of it revolving around the NnoiTesra pairing, rather than just simply the character himself. Since he doesn't have much characterization in canon, I'll just use him as I like, hehe. Thank you so much for reviewing!

**Pardon the Insanity: **Wow! I really appreciate the great responses from you! I'll try and cover some of the things you mentioned, but I have to admit you had me grinning quite a bit, so thank you!

I think I was in the same place as you when this idea came to me and I decided to go with it. A nice AU just struck me as something I wanted to do, yet I wanted to fit it in a world that could sort of match up with canon. I really wanted a situation where Ulquiorra and Orihime could interact a lot because I had a lot of, what I thought, were cute ideas and I hoped others would think so too.

Since Orihime is a girl with such a large range of emotions she can openly show to the audience, I know it can be difficult to keep her expressions believable. I'm glad you think I've been able to keep her behaving very naturally. Haha, and the alarm scene…it was something silly that I could picture her doing that came to mind. I'm glad you liked it!

I really can't help but put in some of Kubo's lines. They are simply too perfect! Haha, yeah, this story needed a lot of planning, especially since I tended to write scenes in a random order as they came to me.

The scene with Yammy was sort of inspired by her reaction to Ulquiorra barging into her room early on in the manga. It sort of struck me as odd that she was acting so comical with him. But I can see what you mean; it might have been too soon for her to react in such a way.

I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment when I can make others act as fangirly as I tend to be! Haha, and the part where Orihime knows she can simply stare at his back to egg him on, it just seemed like something she would do… I love her character so much!

Ulquiorra's definitely going to be thinking of her more and more…and Orihime is already thinking of him a large amount. I'm glad you liked the Espada meeting. I felt those characters were cunning enough to have thought of doing something similar, though it wasn't largely shown. I definitely like giving the arrancar focus because I enjoyed their characters so much.

Haha, oh yes, chest tightness! By the end he might be fearing he is having a heart attack from all the palpitations! I wanted to show that, in these subtle ways, Ulquiorra is understanding her. It might not seem like much, but for Ulquiorra, it is huge.

Oh yes, the difference between Orihime reacting to anyone else and her reacting to Ulquiorra is that she becomes awesome when he tries to knock her down. I love that about this pairing.

The line about fear…it really is the difference between hollow and humanity, I feel. The hollow are defined by their fear, while humanity, with their precious hearts and bonds, have that ability to overcome it. It is the epitome of what Ulquiorra wanted to learn from her, and Orihime is a character who expresses this idea the best. She has been beaten up by her own fears so much throughout her life, yet she still holds her bonds so dearly. Only Orihime could explain it in a way he would understand.

Once again, thank you so much for your thoughtful responses! Really, grinning uncontrollably over it!

**RAHbooks:** I'm glad you thought this idea was interesting and that you are enjoying this story! :) As far as using the white moths, of course you can! It's not like it is completely original for myself either, since I basically took the hells butterflies and made a white counterpart. I'm sure others could write them even more interesting than I could :) Good luck on your story!

Ok, I think I've said enough. Thanks everyone!

-Miss Soupy


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

She had jumped terribly the moment she heard his voice. Slowly, she turned to face him with an expression that showed a mix of dread and panic. In her hands, he clutched a folder and a few loose documents. With but a glance, he knew what they were.

"I said what are you doing in my room?"

Her mouth seemed to open and close wordlessly, her brown eyes were wide. She appeared to be beyond speech.

With a sigh, he approached her, feeling annoyance when she seemed to shrink away. He held out his hand towards her, and she looked down, blinking at it confusedly before she lifted the pages and placed them in his palm.

"I…I'm sorry. I…" Her head hung down, ashamed. "I was getting the book. I figured you put it away in here, but that envelope fell off the shelf and…" Her arms waved wildly as she tried use hand motions to illustrate what had happened.

"I see."

Her head swung up with such force that he thought she might crack her neck in two. "I'm really sorry! I saw the front picture and got distracted. B-but I really didn't see anything! I mean, I can just forget what I saw, honest!"

"Woman, enough," he commanded, silencing her apparent hysterics. Her lips squeezed shut so tightly she looked extremely comical. "I do not care."

Air rushed out of her and she deflated, somewhat. "You…you don't care?"

She seemed unable to believe him, so he repeated, "It is inconsequential. Had I intended such information to be secret, it would not have been so easily discovered."

"So…you're not mad?"

"No."

"So…your past isn't some huge secret that torments you so you can never talk about it?" she asked seeming a bit disenchanted.

Ulquiorra blinked. Her imagination was something quite uncanny. "It is not a secret, not really. And I hardly ever consider things of my past. It is, to me, but a past life."

She looked at him as if she didn't quite understand. "You…your name is Tokio."

He shrugged. "It used to be. I used to be Tokio, yes."

"You were a businessman, right?"

"Yes, I was a businessman. I was one of the best, worth millions." He glanced down at the pages, and then held them back to her. She eyed them a moment, then looked back up at him as if to be sure. When he nodded once, she took the files and, moving behind her towards his bed, sat and looked at them.

"So you were like…a prodigy?"

He thought a moment, his head cocked to the side as he regarded her. "Perhaps. I was trained from birth to be proficient at business. My parents, unlike most, did not partake in my upbringing. They used a more hands-off type of rearing, instead putting me in the hands of teachers. In truth, I was not allowed to be a child. This caused me to be extremely adept at what I was meant to be, which was what they intended. That I turned out exactly as they wished made them quite proud, I suspect, but I was never close to them."

She was looking at his picture, her mouth turned down in a frown. "That sounds horrible…"

"To be honest, for a time it did not occur to me to be unhappy. Rather, I concluded that this was how all parents behaved and that I should be grateful to them for making me so able to perform in the profession they desired me to." There was not a hint of regret in his words, simply the undiluted truth. These things he remembered as if he were seeing another person entirely. Only his knowledge that it was indeed him kept him assured they were his own memories.

"I could read the patterns of the economy so easily. I knew exactly the right moves to make to ensure maximum income. I was desired by many different companies and people because I seemed so infallible."

Orihime looked at him with slight awe, yet there was still something unidentifiable in her eyes. A strange apprehension might have been what he saw, or perhaps she was trying to look through his words and easy façade for hidden feelings. He wasn't sure, so he continued, "I seemed to have everything I wanted, yet as time went on, I became aware that the people who called themselves my friends were not so. That, given the chance, they would have rather devoured me than protect me if I happened to fall short. In fact, it was what they were waiting for - a moment where I showed a weakness of which they could take advantage. Men who were my colleagues smiled and made me as comfortable as possible. Women who showed interest in me complimented me and attended to me. Yet they were all the same. They were merely scavengers. Once I realized this, I became consumed by a grief I did not understand."

Orange strands fell from behind her hair as she sat, listening intently and strangely quiet. She seemed keen on letting him speak, for it was so rare that he said so much to her at one time. But for some reason, he felt a strange need to reveal such things. Ulquiorra had not spoken to anyone of who he had been, and no one had asked him either. It was not something specifically hidden, but it was not something he necessarily wished to bare either. If there was one soul he could speak to this about, it was her, for she did not judge people in the same way. She was a person who was determined to look deeper than she should, whether or not she would be rewarded or hurt for it.

"I became bitter and withdrawn. My entire existence seemed like a cruel joke. What purpose did I have beyond being good at what I was trained to be good at? It seemed trivial, insignificant. As such, I turned my mind to what I might have control over, that which was not in the plan, as it were. In this, I thought, perhaps I could find some comfort." He paused knowing his next words would be hard for her to hear. This understanding made him realize how well he did know her now, even with all her mystery and surprise. "My thought was this: if my entire existence was planned, then to not exist would have been the one thing under my control. To disappear and become nothing might be the only happiness left to me, and it was this thought that plagued my mind."

Her brown eyes seemed impossibly wide, her face completely tensed, but he plowed on. "There was a bridge. Some days I would walk to the office; I was increasingly alone, not able to tolerate anyone's company. I would pass over the bridge, peer over the white railings, and think it comforting to disappear below the waves. I do not recall being afraid, only curious. My despair was too troubling to consider fear. But…" He now stared, unseeing, into the corner of his room. "I would soon know fear again, for it was here that I met him."

"Aizen," she breathed, and it was her voice that called him back, blinking quickly.

"Yes, Aizen-sama was there on the bridge. He had been watching me and he had other ideas for me. He told me that I had not reached my full potential yet and that he could help me to do so. He promised me a new life; I suppose he was not lying. I agreed under the condition that I was to be allowed to do as I initially intended if I did not find fulfillment. Of course, he accepted such a request easily, as confident as he is. I could not deny his natural charisma and was able to withstand pain beyond imagination in order to see what he saw."

He held a hand up before his eyes. "And soon, I saw everything clearer than I ever had. I was powerful in a different way. The person I was had been lost along the way, and I chose a new name for my new life. I am Ulquiorra Cifer. No longer can I be fooled by illusion, for my eyes see through all. Never again will I be caught in lies and façade."

His sight caught something like a glittering diamond drop to the ground without a sound. Abruptly he looked up, catching another shiny thing crawl down a creamy cheek to hang suspended at her chin.

"Ulquiorra," she whispered, the first sound she had uttered for what seemed like hours. Tears brimmed in her eyes and he stiffened, taken aback by the sight of her. Why was she crying?

The brown of her eyes disappeared as she shut them tightly, her face contorted in pain. And there he stood, not knowing what to do. His chest felt heavy, heavier than it had ever felt, and he wanted to scowl in annoyance at it. It had not been his intent to upset her, yet he always found himself able to do it so easily.

"Woman, what is the meaning of this? There is no point in shedding tears," he told her in a quick attempt to stop her. Perhaps if she was only reassured…

A hiccup escaped her throat instead as a fresh tear trailed down her cheek. It fell with a _splat_ onto the papers she still clung to. "It's unfair, all of it…that you had to…that you felt those things…" She was speaking nonsense, mumbling, and his apprehension was increasing with her increasing tears. He half thought of shaking her, making her listen to his words so that she would cease such nonsense. But he could not touch her, because in this moment, he recognized her thoughts and feelings were all for him, and such a thing shook him to his core.

Abruptly she stood and faced him, and he felt himself want to retreat from her, from the intensity she held. But when she looked at him fully, he felt he could not look away.

"E-even though we are very different, and even though we are on opposing sides, I want you to know that I think you are a good person." Her gaze was almost blinding, but he managed to meet it evenly. "And I would never use you or lie to you. If I did, I could never forgive myself!"

He did not doubt her words in the slightest, because she spoke them with such sincerity that such a thing would be impossible. She spoke through something more powerful than he knew. Never had he felt something so paramount. Even against the greatest fear and the greatest despair, her words would not ring any less true. Ulquiorra released a breath he did not know he had been holding; his mouth had suddenly gone dry.

Green eyes softened as he looked upon her. "Yes," he agreed, "you would never do such a thing."

She wiped at her eyes, but one last tear slipped past her fingers. He reacted somewhat reflexively as he watched it, and in a moment his thumb caught the shining pearl from her cheek. It was one of the first tears ever shed for him, and it felt invaluable against his skin; it was warm and sweet and real. Orihime gave him a watery smile as he looked back solemnly at her.

As if captured by some strange spell, both found they did not wish to look away.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Over the next few days, Ulquiorra noted a few changes in Orihime's behavior. She smiled at him when she saw him and stayed in closer proximity to him when they interacted. While not anything extreme, there was something there, an easiness that had not existed before. For his part, he didn't feel he behaved differently, but he could not be sure if she would say the same. Sometimes he wondered if Aizen would be displeased to know what he had revealed. His background was never said to proprietary or confidential, but perhaps his leader would frown upon his sharing of it anyways. Regardless of this thought and whatever trouble he might have gotten in, Ulquiorra could not bring himself to regret what had happened.

Anymore, his mind felt filled to the brim with thoughts about the current events. He had received some strange information from the recent meeting with some of the Espada. It seemed that Tesra's mission to act as a distraction was ongoing, although he was no longer the one performing it. This time Aizen had chosen two females from Harribel's division, and from that action, Ulquiorra was surprised to see the quiet woman attending the meeting.

"Aizen-sama is sending two girls from my group," Harribel had said, her voice low. She was able to completely mask her worry, but Ulquiorra knew it was there. "They are head-strong and want to please Aizen-sama above all. I fear they will suffer the same fate, or worse, than the previous decoy did."

It seemed, somehow, that word had spread regarding Tesra's recovery, for soon Harribel's green eyes had fallen upon Ulquiorra. "Can I put trust in that woman, Ulquiorra? If I can bring them back alive, will she heal them?"

All had looked at him then, curious.

"Yes." He had said it without hesitation. Even though he truthfully did not know the extent of her tech's healing ability, he knew that she would somehow manage to do so. It was not a question of if she would try really, but if she could do so given the circumstances. Already, she had proven she did not care if they were on her side or not; she could not stand to see someone hurt. Because of that, Ulquiorra was positive she would do it.

This seemed to settle Harribel somewhat, but suddenly, Ulquiorra realized he had a very strong playing piece among his colleagues. He had only reluctantly joined these meetings because his ability to sense hidden cameras and detectors was needed, and he was curious about what they would say. He knew that some of the other Espada members could not be trusted or preferred to stay loyal to Aizen. Harribel herself had not initially had any interest in joining them at first. Pushed due to fear for some of the girls in her division, she had sought them out specifically to talk to him. Now it was guaranteed she would give them whatever information she knew. As long as the woman's abilities could be used when the others needed it most, he could direct some of their interests in the way he desired.

For now, he did not care to use such leverage. He was still just listening in, gathering information to be used when he decided the time was right to make a move, whatever it might be. If there happened to come a time where he thought Aizen might be plotting against him, he would have options at his disposal that would hopefully insure his survival. And the woman's, too, he thought quickly, for it was actually her favors he was utilizing. He glanced over to where she was humming while reading her book. Hopefully nothing like that would occur, for Ulquiorra still considered staying with Aizen the safest bet.

"Come, woman," he called, setting out a plate of food for her and himself.

She set the book down, and walked over to sit up at the counter. "Thanks Ulquiorra," she said with a grateful smile.

He nodded, sitting across from her to eat his own meal.

"You know," she said in between bites, "I could cook sometimes too. I used to love cooking, so it wouldn't be a problem…"

Ulquiorra thought a moment, recalling the unusual mixture of food she chose for herself when they ate in the cafeteria. He fought the urge to shudder. "That is not necessary. I do not know if my stomach could stand your odd concoctions."

Rather than being offended, she gave a lop-sided guilty smile. "Maybe you're right. I've only ever known Rangiku-san to like my cooking."

Abruptly, his phone started chirping, and he put down his fork to quickly answer it.

"Yes?"

"Ulquiorra." It was Harribel, he realized in an instant, and her usually calm voice was on edge. "I found them. I'm bringing them in now, but they are critically injured. I need that girl to save them. Can you bring her to my section right away?"

He paused, his eyes glancing across at Orihime who was looking intently at him. "Yes, we will meet you."

The line went dead and he tucked his phone back in his pocket.

"There is another injury," he told her, but found she was already getting up. "We need to meet them."

Within minutes, they were arriving at the 3rd section medical ward. Orihime rushed about clearing a space and getting water and supplies to dress wounds. Soon, the doors opened revealing Harribel who carried one unconscious girl in her arms and another girl who was actually awake slung over her shoulder. Gently she lowered each of them to a table.

"Harribel-san," Orihime said, surprised, and the blonde woman nodded in her direction.

"They are in your hands, Orihime Inoue."

Orihime nodded determinedly and turned to her patients. On one side was a girl completely unconscious. Her breathing was faint and Orihime saw a large smear of blood across her chest. She needed to be healed first. Hands flying to her pins, she released her two healing pieces which landed on either side of the unconscious girl. Within seconds a shield flickered to life above the quiet form.

"What is she doing?" a voice hissed, and Orihime turned to look at the second girl who had black hair tied in two pig tails. "I don't want her touching me! She is one of _them_!"

Shocked, Orihime tried to calm the girl. "I'm going to help you, honest!"

"I don't want your help!"

"Loly, be silent," Harribel said sharply, looking at the girl. Her eyes went wide but her defiant looks at Orihime did not disappear.

"Harribel-sama, she is not one of us! I would rather die than let someone like her heal me. It is a disgrace to Aizen-sama and his plans!"

Annoyed, Ulquiorra told her, "If it is such a disgrace then explain why Aizen-sama brought her here."

She shut her mouth with a glare shot in Ulquiorra's direction.

"You are being a disgrace by saying such things," Harribel said. "If you are so keen on being stubborn, she does not have to heal you. You can sit useless in your room for weeks as you heal naturally instead, if you ever do fully heal."

The girl sat back without another word and refused to look at any of them. When Orihime finished with the blonde haired girl, she turned, wordlessly, to the other and healed her as well. And then she stood back, with a bow, and said, "I hope you feel better. Make sure you get some rest."

"Thank you, Orihime," Harribel told her politely. She sighed heavily as she looked at the two girls. "They cause me trouble frequently, but perhaps they don't know any better. I could not bear to see them simply left to die."

Orihime nodded sympathetically. She knew the two girls had probably heard their supervisor's words. She wondered if they would be happy or angry over them.

Harribel then turned to Ulquiorra. "I do not think this is over. It seems Soul Systems has prepared very well for this specific operation. I imagine he cannot send this lower level of fighter anymore. He will certainly have to send one of our level soon, if he intends to retrieve information."

Ulquiorra nodded in understanding. "That does seem probable."

Orihime, instinctively, stayed silent and simply listened. They left shortly after, both seeming lost in their thoughts. She wondered at the behavior of the girl, Loly. It was obvious that, to her, Orihime was an enemy and not to be trusted. For some reason, she seemed to have some great anger and disgust towards her, though Orihime had never seen her before. Hopefully healing her and the other girl would show them she meant well, even if their goals were not the same.

But now there was another problem. Harribel had mentioned something about a mission and of someone of the Espada's rank being sent. She did not know what Aizen was sending Tesra and the girls to do, but it seemed extremely dangerous. That struck her as odd, since Aizen was certainly a cunning man. Did he not notice they were outmatched? Orihime frowned. That didn't sound like Aizen. Then if Aizen intended these people to come back like this, or at least was not surprised…what was their purpose? She glanced at Ulquiorra, who was looking steadily ahead, his face blank. What if he was sent to the same fate?

Worriedly, she bit her lip. If that moment came, she resolved, she would need to be the one to put him back together, just as she had been doing. Still, she hoped that moment never came.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

He was left with the numbing sting of the white moth that now fluttered away innocently, and in response, he rubbed absently at his hand. Ulquiorra had known what to expect when he found the white moth hovering over him in bed. The message had been simple: meet Aizen at 8 AM. There could be no other reason than that which he had feared. No, perhaps he did not fear it. Even after witnessing what remained of those Aizen had previously trusted with this task, he could not see such a fate for himself. He was, after all, leagues above the likes of Tesra and the two girls from Harribel's division. His rank as an Espada ensured it. But Harribel had warned him of the increase in power from the other side as well. They would expect it, wouldn't they? They too were watching, planning, trying to understand the mind of their enemy. He would need to be wary, regardless, since they would be more prepared.

It was still early, and the woman would not be waking for a few more hours. He got up and got ready with an unusual stillness settling over him. He had not felt such quiet within his own being for a long time. But truly, he was not quiet inside, for his mind ran with endless possibilities and scenarios. Already he was planning, even before he knew most of the details he needed to plan for. This was a puzzle, and he had always been good at puzzles. If, as he supposed, he was infiltrating Soul Systems, he would need a good network of eyes. Yes, he would need to be aware of everything at once to ensure his completion of whatever task Aizen asked of him. This thought settled the quivering energy that had taken hold of him.

Leaving his room, he felt another side to this reality kick in. He would be facing Aizen soon, and that required a mental preparation like no other. With Aizen, it was always a good tactic to act unsuspecting yet curious. Aizen would not be fooled by him merely parroting after his words. Ulquiorra was brought on for his intellect and analytical abilities, so he would need to utilize them. Not using the skills you were known for would be a tip for the man that you were up to something. Of course, he was not actively working against Aizen. Not really. If Aizen did not suspect his soldiers spoke to one another, then he was not the person Ulquiorra thought.

Green eyes sweeping towards the stairs, he wondered if she was awake. But then there she was, sitting on the steps with a puzzled expression on her face and stifling a yawn.

Startled by her appearance, he asked, "What are you doing?"

She pointed upwards, and it was then that he noticed the little winged ball sitting on her head. "It doesn't like the moth, I think," she said matter-o-factly. Then she looked at him seriously. "Are you going somewhere?"

Ulquiorra blinked, still caught on the woman noticing some sort of habit of his own creation. As if it were alive. Then, collecting himself, he answered, "I have a meeting."

She nodded glumly. "Is it with Aizen…-sama?"

He didn't answer, instead telling her, "I am uncertain how long the meeting will be, but you are to wait here."

Her brown eyes looked up, trying to see the object perching on her head. "Maybe you should go too…"

Quickly he told her, "No." He was not keen on showing Aizen this creation of his. At least not yet. It was one thing that was entirely of his doing. "It can stay. I will not need it."

When she made no other move, he turned to leave, but then paused when he heard her say eagerly, "I'll make breakfast! It'll be all ready for when you come back."

His head turned so that he could regard her with one eye. "Do not over do it, woman." She smiled brilliantly at him, and he left her, her smiling face burned in his mind.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The most silent part of the building, to Ulquiorra, was always the hall leading to Aizens office. Every footstep sounded as if it could be heard for miles, as if the force of the sound could shake the windows lining it. Out them he could see the entire city, including the black tower of their rival, Soul Systems, stretched before him somberly. It seemed almost like a rift in the sky leading to some dark place. The sharp edges were so defined, unlike the sleekness of their own building. He had always found it ironic that Aizen had named their own vast whiteness _Las Noches_. To him it seemed it should be the other way around. But people did not fear the day like they feared the night, so perhaps Aizen had another meaning hidden in the name.

Shaking his thoughts away, he approached two tall, white doors, which slid apart for him. Large, white steps led upwards, and he climbed to where the room opened up. Aizen was there, sitting upon a large chair situated in front of a wall of glass. The one side of the room was entirely windows and offered a breathtaking view of the city. It was as if Aizen sat upon a throne in heaven looking out over his entire kingdom.

"Aizen-sama," he said, calling the man's attention.

He glanced, beckoning him in to sit in a small chair nearby. "Thank you for coming, Ulquiorra. Such a view is so thrilling, don't you think? I never tire of it." Aizen smiled, and Ulquiorra looked out too.

"It is quite admirable," he said, inclining his head.

"I very much enjoy looking at what one day will also be my own." His gaze remained fixed on the black building in the distance. "That is why I chose this wall to be my look out."

Ulquiorra remained silent, allowing Aizen his moment. Finally, Aizen turned away from the view to look at Ulquiorra. "I have a special job for you, Ulquiorra. One I can not easily trust any other with. But first, how is Orihime-san doing?"

"She is well," he replied coolly. "She has been working hard on her tech. There have not been any out-bursts or escape attempts, so I have given her some rewards. She likes eating in the cafeteria, for example."

"Good," he said absently. It wasn't what he was really interested in. "And does she trust you?"

Now this was important. He felt it register immediately and he fought the reflex to blink in order to collect himself. It was always easier to tell the truth, however, and so he said, "Yes. She has no choice."

Aizen's face relaxed and he sat back in his chair with a confident smile. "I'm glad. I have use for her, but first, one last task needs to be done."

"Use for her?" Whatever surprise laced his voice had been honest; he truly had not expected Aizen to have a real need for her besides potentially healing those he deemed worthy.

The man nodded, his hands folded neatly together. "Once you show Soul Systems how far I seem willing to go for information from them, they will retract what few soldiers have been stationed at Karakura Inc. Not all, perhaps, but most of them will leave to better defend what they perceive as my true focus. I simply need them to think my sight is on them without them realizing how incorrect they are until it is too late."

His back straightened. It had been only partly what he expected. "Then, I am to act as a decoy?"

"I don't quite like the term, but yes, ideally. You are to make them think you are stealing information. Make it very convincible, but you must be seen in the act. That is important. I do not care what reason you give them in this illusion. Perhaps information, perhaps now you could pull off vengeance, but it must be something they cannot see through. You will know, because they will attack with everything they have. So far, this has worked without problem."

So they had all nearly lost their lives for Aizen to set up this illusion, as he called it. It was a sound plan in Ulquiorra's mind, though the dangers it possessed had grown significantly. Had it been just data gathering, there was always the possibility of getting away without being caught. Here he must seek battle. Such actions were uncommon for him, but he knew he was not offered a choice to decline. "I understand."

Aizen straightened himself with a charming smile. "I trust you especially with this, Ulquiorra. You out of all of them will be able to do what I ask." Ulquiorra bowed his head. Seeing it, Aizen went on. "And one more thing I must ask of you. A rule, if you will." His eyes snapped up to the face of his leader. "You cannot use your other form. Soul Systems must not know the level I have achieved in my enhancement abilities. They must not see our true capability until it is too late for them to protect against it. This, combined with what I will take from Karakura Inc., will ensure our victory."

"I will choose my actions wisely, then," he said, standing as Aizen did so as well.

"I have faith in you, Ulquiorra. I will need you and the trust you have won from Orihime-san." His brown eyes slid to Ulquiorra's face. "It would be a set back to try and force her into the next part of the plan. It is my hope that your ability to survive is enough."

Ulquiorra felt a chill go up his spine, but he ignored it. "Yes, Aizen-sama."

He was dismissed then, and left the room with Aizen once more staring out his windows, as a predator would its prey. Back down the echoing hall he walked, feeling his heart begin to beat slowly again with the steps he put between them. Meetings with Aizen were always so disarming. It was simply Aizen's character, as it was his own character to follow the man's plans and complete his objectives.

_This mission will undoubtedly cause me trouble_, he thought with a sigh. The only thing left for him to do now was to plan his moves carefully enough to ensure he stayed alive.

When he reached his apartment once more, he was met with a loud greeting.

"Welcome back, Ulquiorra-kun!" the woman called from the kitchen.

His eyes narrowed as he entered his villa, moving to the left to enter the kitchen area where there was now a large pile of pots and pans dirtied. The unmistakable scent of food found his nose.

"I told you to call me 'Ulquiorra'," he said, eyeing the stack of dishes that would need cleaning and feeling his stomach drop at the thought of eating her cooking. He had forgotten about her offer and now he regretted allowing it.

"Oh, right. Sorry!" she said without really looking it. She busied herself pouring some miso soup into two small bowls and setting them by two empty plates. Then, she set on the counter a plate of tamagoyaki and a bowl of steamed rice. "I know you like more normal foods," she said quietly, as if it were some huge secret.

Tentatively, he took one of the omelets and, after considering his options, placed it in his mouth.

His eyes widened. "Surprisingly…this is good."

"You like it?"

"Yes. It is…sweet."

She smiled at him across the counter. "I put sugar in it. My specialty is baking. Cakes and pies and things. Somehow I guessed you might like sweet flavors."

He didn't know what to say, so he remained silent, taking another omelet and some rice. The woman, as always, seemed to be full of surprises.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: This was one of my favorite chapters to write. I drew some ideas from Ulquiorra's UNMASKED backstory (about his comrades wanting to devour him, feeling he only could find happiness in nothingness/death, the despair). Um, what else...well, I think that is all I wanted to mention. Those of you adding this fic to favorites, why don't you go ahead and review while you are at it :) I don't bite, I swear!

Beta'd by a sleeping chu.

**nypsy**: I love those 'aww' moments, so I can't help but add them whenever I can XD They are getting closer and closer, sometimes without even realizing it. Now Orihime has told him that regardless of who he is, she thinks he is a good person. It is part of her amazing ability to understand someone from the inside. And Ulquiorra is keeping her in mind now for whatever plans he has for his own safety, which is an important change too.

**Pardon the Insanity**: Oh, I don't mind responding at all! You took your time with your reviews, which I really appreciate! Oh yes, the fairy tales. I needed some sort of segue into some discussion about physical intimacy, and thus I came up with the idea of Sleeping Beauty. Not only could they talk about kissing (which is squee worthy in of itself), but it was a nice contrast between Orihime's imaginative views and Ulquiorra's practical ones when it came to a fictional story. And then to move onto Orihime's view of Ulquiorra when it comes to attraction. Ulquiorra being experienced or not, well that point didn't really matter as much to her. I thought it a good way to move from showing some cuteness/innocence over the kissing discussion, to maturity when understanding that Ulquiorra had probably never made such a deep connection with anyone, no matter if he was experienced. And oh! I'm glad you liked their little training session :) I feel Ulquiorra could really help her with her abilities in the same way she can help him with his emotions. It's a nice trade!

**RAHbooks**: Thank you! While in the actual story they only had a couple days to get to know one another, here I have more time to show their growing interest in one another. I want it to be believable, so I couldn't rush it too much. But hopefully you can see things moving forward, little by little.

Next chapter there will be a bit of action, and, what I think is, a fairly heart-wrenching scene. So keep a look out!

-Miss Soupy


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

For most of the day while she worked in the lab, Ulquiorra was absent. He had told her he had a mission to prepare for but would not give any details. It made her anxious, if only because she had no idea what was going on. Maybe she should have paid more attention, or asked better questions. Had she thought nothing was going on behind the walls of white? With guilt, she thought of her friends. She had not asked of them recently, though that might have been because she trusted Ulquiorra to tell her if anything happened.

When he entered the lab briefly, she stole glances at him, trying to read his body language for any hints. While his expression changed little, she supposed there was an extra stiffness to his posture. He seemed to be focused elsewhere rather than on his surroundings, for once. She took it from his actions that his mission was very important.

_Is he worried?_

Soon, he was walking her back to his place, and she knew he was going to leave. Her eyes stared at his back and the whiteness of his uniform. She had once wondered what would happen if she were to reach out and touch him. How would he react? He was always so detached from everything; she doubted he had any physical contact with anyone. Before she came, he would leave to do whatever Aizen asked, and there was no one waiting for his return, no one worrying about his safety.

Now she was here, and though they differed in many ways, she certainly did not wish for harm to come to him. She did not consider him an enemy now, for Ulquiorra did not care enough about anything in particular to be completely against her. Somehow, she understood he simply went through the motions.

Immediately, he went to his room to change, and she sat herself upon the couch, fidgeting. Catching something dark out of the corner of her eye, she looked to see the flying eye fluttering in the air nearby. Upon holding out her hand, the eye landed upon it to stare at her solemnly.

"Watch out for him, ok?" she implored, looking down at the little creature. It merely blinked up at her, regarding her with its usual half-lidded stare.

When Ulquiorra appeared again, she stood and looked at him. He had changed into more natural clothes: dark pants and a light buttoned long-sleeve shirt, and a trench coat being pulled on. Such a small change made him look quite different, and she realized that he was not a bad looking man. Unusual, perhaps, but handsome in a more exotic way. He regarded her coolly, hands in his pockets.

"I will be leaving now. You are to stay here." He seemed to hesitate, his lips pausing momentarily. "If…things do not go as planned, someone will alert you."

Her heart flew into her throat at the casual way he spoke such heavy words. Was it really that dangerous of a mission?

Suddenly, she bowed, exclaiming, "G-good luck!"

The eye fluttered over to Ulquiorra, who placed it in his pocket. He nodded briefly, perhaps unsure of what to say. With a final glance in her direction, he left, and she was alone.

She read her book awhile, cleaned her room, and then made some faces in the mirror. Ulquiorra had not returned, so she prepared for bed. Lying down, she found herself unable to sleep in the quiet apartment. Since coming to HM Global, she had not been left totally by herself, and she found it was one thing she did not miss.

Taking up a pillow and a blanket, she descended the spiral stairs.

"I'll just wait for him here," she told herself, settling down on the couch. She wanted to know when he returned, if only to make sure he was ok.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

There was only one way in and out of the Special Operations area of Soul Systems for those who were not employees and, therefore, not privy to certain technology. It was, of course, the very tunnel he had snatched Orihime from weeks ago. It certainly made things difficult, because it would obviously be guarded heavily.

He entered the area that housed this tunnel on foot. It was dark, and he blended into the blackness of the streets easily. Finding a safe area, he pulled out a bag that had been hidden in his coat pocket and opened it. There was a movement of many objects turning towards him.

"Go," he told them, and ten winged eyes flew up out of the bag and down the dark tunnel. One remained, fluttering nearby his shoulder.

There were six guards within the tunnel at different points, and after watching them through his cameras, he noticed they relayed back to higher command with headsets about every 15 minutes. Seeing this, he knew he could not simply take out the guards as that would result in a time limit, making things more difficult for him. But he had another plan, and he conveyed the message to his eye-bots. They took images of the entire tunnel, careful not to be seen, relaying all the data back to the one eye that stayed with him.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out something small and silver and slipped it around his wrist. Holding up his wrist with the bracelet secured around it, he linked all of the images from the eye into the device and activated it. Checking through the eye camera, he verified he had sufficiently disappeared from view. The bracelet, one of his own devices, emitted projections in 360 degrees around him, making him appear invisible to others outside of the projection. The eyes could relay every image possible to the bracelet, and the bracelet could track location with each image, so it would be a legitimate cover.

Quietly, he set off down the tunnel; as he passed the guards, he noticed that they didn't even bat an eye in his direction. It helped that the tunnel was dark, hiding any possible glitch in his technology. He sent his eyes ahead, gathering more images which were relayed to the eye linked with his bracelet, so that he always had an updated cache of images. Soon, the blackness of the tunnel gave way to an area that was well-lit as many small buildings came into view. These housed the offensive units of Soul Systems, and it would be here he had to be even more careful.

His research on the area had revealed a nearby building that housed a direct link to their server. He had a hunch it was a fairly important area. Perhaps their own intelligence was housed there, and it would serve as the best place to collect information and likely the most heavily guarded place. It would be a fine line he walked now, to show great interest but also make sure he was caught. He had hesitated over making an escape plan for himself because he felt it might be obvious and give himself away. Winging it was not his forte, but he had a few ideas that he hoped would suffice.

He made his way to the building, and after waiting a moment to let his eyes go ahead and take images, he too entered, careful not to make a sound. The room was completely dark, but as he stepped inside, the lights kicked on with a faint buzzing and the door slammed shut behind him.

He froze in his place, and an eerie voice called to him, "What's this? I ordered no one to enter here unless they were prepared to die."

The eyes that had entered all swung towards the source of the voice, but a moment later they dissolved into nothing as a man moved towards them. Ulquiorra quickly got out of the way, retreating to a corner as he saw the glint of a sword.

"So, what sort of technology is this? If you are interesting, I might let you live so I can study you."

The man had on heavy face paint and eerie yellow eyes. Ulquiorra knew from a glance, however, that he was one of the 13 offensive division leaders. Suddenly yellow eyes swung in his direction, and Ulquiorra dodged as the sword followed. The bracelet had malfunctioned, causing a rift in the projection space showing where he stood. With a _tch_ he tore it off his wrist, revealing himself.

The captain suddenly looked bored. "Ah, so you are from HM Global? I had been slightly excited. I suppose you are at least more intelligent then the rest, to have gotten this far."

"It seems you have increased your defenses significantly," Ulquiorra commented coldly, "though it did not take as much effort as I suspected to get here. Your being here tells me that I was right to think this place important." He flashed his eyes triumphantly, and the man sneered.

"Even so, it will be your last observation."

He moved, but Ulquiorra was able to slip out of the way, drawing his own sword that hung by his side, concealed by his white trench coat. He needed a way out, but the door behind him was undoubtedly secured against him leaving easily. Pointing his finger, he shot a cero to distract the man, trying to get within good position to fire one at the door as well. He deflected it with his sword, but Ulquiorra was already moving, his finger pointed. The cero hit its mark, but he was forced to move as the sword swept near him again in a high arch. Looking back, he saw the door remained intact.

_This will be a bit challenging…_ he thought.

Something struck him as peculiar as he yet again easily got out of the way of the other man's sword. At the same moment as he had this thought, his body began feeling strange, sluggish, as if his mind could not tell his muscles to move quick enough.

_Poison!_ He realized, too late, as this time he was barely able to move out of the way. The captain came at him again in quick succession, and after two more misses the sword struck, piercing into his skin as if he were made of butter. Immediately blood dripped from his wound; he knew the sword had pierced his stomach, and suddenly the situation went from bad to dire. The pain was immediate, and he could not only feel the cut but also a stinging inside. No, it felt like melting, as if his insides were being dissolved. The sword, he realized, was laced with more than one type of poison.

_Damnit_, he cursed, his hand clutching his side as the blood soaked his shirt. He felt around in his pocket and found the bracelet which he attached once again. He had had the remaining eye complete the image cache and he activated it to buy him time.

"What is the point of this?" the man wondered. "I can still release my poisons which will slowly kill you either way."

The burning inside was excruciating, but he forced his mind to stay focused. The pain, he found, kept the first feeling of haziness at bay, which was a help. Pinpointing the few eyes that remained outside of the room, he ordered them near. Hand held tightly against his wound, he tried to slow the trickle of blood so that he didn't leave a trail. Thankfully, he found his skin already beginning to stitch itself back together. He had one more chance to get out, and he would need to stay out of reach for a few more seconds.

The captain, though, seemed unwilling to simply wait, and began drawing nearer to the door, understanding that if he was trying to escape that is where he would go. His sword shot out in spots around him, hoping to find its target.

Suddenly, the eye that remained by his side shot out on its own, its iris glowing green briefly as an image projected forth. The captain caught the sight, swinging his head in that direction to see a hologram of Ulquiorra himself. It was all the time Ulquiorra needed though, for he commanded the eyes outside to hit the door simultaneously, which resulted in a large explosion, causing the door to give in and crumple. He dashed out in the moments the captain shielded his eyes, not daring to look behind. He did not slow in the tunnel, forcing himself to keep going. Thankfully, his bracelet had not again malfunctioned, and he was kept hidden back down the tunnel.

With a gasp he found himself back on the streets, hurrying around a corner to a safer place to lean himself against the wall of a nearby building. Looking over, he saw the only eye that survived, the one that had been in the presence of Orihime, staring at him. Had he been in less pain, he might have wondered at its actions, and when it had started acting on its own accord.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Against her desires, she had fallen asleep sometime after midnight. The clock on the wall had chimed that hour, and it was the last thing she remembered before the door flying open had woken her with a start.

Quickly, she jerked her head to look in the direction of the door, seeing the unmistakable figure of Ulquiorra. But something was wrong. He stood there in the doorway, the light from the hall casting a shadow over his features so she couldn't see his face. As he stood, though, she saw his body begin to sway dangerously, and she rushed to his aid. Orihime caught him before his knees gave out, securely holding on to him as she ushered him inside and closed the door. Faintly, she noticed his breathing was ragged, coming in short quick pants as if it were incredibly painful, and with great care she brought him to the couch and lowered him so he could sit.

"L-lights," she cried frantically, standing to begin searching. To her astonishment, they came on as she said the word and finally she could see him.

What she saw caused her to release a pained, "Oh!"

Blood stained his front and his coat, and the shirt underneath had been ripped around his stomach. His eyes were unfocused, as if he had no idea what was happening around him. Tears sprang to her eyes as she saw how much he must be hurting, and with shaking hands, she slipped his arms out of his coat and tore what was left of his shirt off his body to survey his wounds more clearly. There was blood all over his stomach and chest, and she placed her hands against him, fingers searching for where the wound was. Her brows furrowed. Her fingers met with nothing but solid flesh, the blood that was there was dried. She could find no injury, yet his behavior said otherwise. Was it merely fatigue somehow?

But then another thought filled her mind, turning her insides cold. If he had no wounds, then the blood would belong to someone else. Her eyes widened, horrified, as she continued to frantically find an injury.

"I don't understand," she whispered shakily, a tear leaking out of her eye. Whose blood was it then? Did it belong to someone she knew? Could it belong to Rukia, or Chad, or Ishida? Or, could it be Ichigo?

But even as she thought it, she still thought of Ulquiorra, of his pained expression and stillness that frightened her. Could he have been bruised inwardly? By some sort of physical attack? Could that be enough to harm him this severely? And then, as if finally realizing where he was, and what was happening, a gentle touch on her hand stopped her and she looked up into his green eyes.

"It's here," he said quietly, pressing her fingers against his stomach. "I-inside. The damage is…internal." He winced from the effort, his eyes squeezing shut. Ulquiorra did not have to wait long for relief, however, for mere seconds later he was coated in a soft, orange glow that sent waves of warmth throughout his entire body. Almost immediately, his pain began to wane, and he found he could focus his sight finally.

It had been the poison that had been the most devastating. The physical injury would need tending to, but was much less critical than the poison that began what felt like dissolving his insides. It ensured he had very little time to make it back to safety. Somehow he had made it back to HM Global and then dragged himself to his villa. From that point, he had been in and out of complete consciousness until he felt the searching hands on his body and a faint voice that seemed so far away. Managing to bring himself back to reality, he found it to be the woman, and immediately, he understood the source of her confusion.

"I have a special ability," he said, his voice soft. "It is called Rapid Cell Regeneration. Any external injuries will heal, but any damage done to my organs will not." He saw her eyebrows come together in confusion, so he went on, "I received a stomach wound, but the blade had also been laced with a poison. My skin had repaired itself, but I was being destroyed from within."

"P-poison?" she stuttered. Tears were still leaking from her eyes. Why was she crying?

Whatever the reason, he desired it to stop, so he attempted to soothe her thoughts by saying, "This mission did not involve Karakura."

The shield flickered out of existence, and Ulquiorra realized that her hand had never left him. Looking up at her face again, he found her tears had only increased.

"Ul-Ulquiorra," she sobbed suddenly, and then she leaned herself against him, her face buried against his neck, and cried.

He did not know what to do, nor the cause of her actions, but for some reason his hand reached out to cup the back of her head, holding her against him. They were both delirious, he decided, his eyes falling closed as he listened to her soft noises and breathing. Or perhaps it was just his own desire to be close to the only person in the world who might shed tears for him. The only person in the world who might actually notice his absence.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Sometime during the night, she must have cleaned his wound and laid him down, for he found himself on the couch, a blanket secured around him. For a moment, he didn't move, merely breathing in and out in silence as he allowed his mind to finally catch up. His first realization was that he had completed his mission as asked. Of course, Aizen's request, or rule, had nearly cost him his life, for if he had been allowed to utilize his full power, the captain he had met would not have gotten near him. But now that was in the past, and he had been saved by the person he had forced to leave everything. His life had been spared by the one whose life he had taken away. That, he found, was a stilling prospect to examine.

Stiffly, he stood and moved to where the white moth sat unmoving on its pedestal.

"I have completed my mission," he spoke at it, and it fluttered its wings briefly before stilling. Aizen would probably be pleased to hear it and to know he had made it back alive.

Now, how long would it be before Aizen needed him for what he had called the next part of his plan?

He had mentioned that the woman would also be needed, and this thought made him feel apprehensive. As dangerous as this mission had been, he could not imagine completing it while keeping another alive as well. Entering the kitchen, he fixed tea and drank it slowly, his mind elsewhere.

Soul Systems truly had taken the decoys seriously; the amount of defense had been impressive, even allowing one building to be shut down to all workers with a captain acting as a guard. They were not taking any chances. Given that, he considered Aizen's thought to be on target: whomever they had stationed at Karakura Inc. would be called away soon.

"Ulquiorra?" He looked up, surprised to have not noticed the girl's arrival. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes," he answered, offering her a cup as well. "I have completely healed."

"Thank you…" She was looking down at the cup and not at him, and being far too quiet for it to be normal.

He waited. Certainly if she had something troubling her, she would say so. He didn't think someone like her could keep things closed up for long.

"I was scared," she finally admitted, looking up at him. "Not only because you seemed hurt, but because I didn't understand how. And then I thought…maybe all that blood belonged to someone else. I…"

He held up his hand. "There is no need to explain anything. I am fine now, regardless of anything."

"It was so surprising that you didn't seem to be harmed," she said, her brows furrowed. "Well, to tell the truth, it still doesn't make much sense to me."

Ulquiorra took a sip of his tea, grateful she seemed to be getting back to normal. "Why is that?"

She leaned her head against her hand thoughtfully. "It's just strange that you can't heal from internal injuries but you can from external."

"Rapid Cell Regeneration was an experiment devised by Aizen-sama. He assured me it was the most advanced technology. I suppose this is proof that even he has his limits."

"But it sounds like it can only be used to heal minor cuts and things. How does it stand out?"

He understood her confusion, and so he explained, "It is not simply that. If I were to lose an appendage, say my arm, it would immediately be re-grown due to the nanobots within my own cells."

Her eyes went wide. "It is kind of like my tech then, except mine deals with signals rather than nanotechnology." But then she sat up, with a frown. "But still, that makes it seem even stranger…"

"Explain."

Orihime took a careful breath and said, "If you can restore your arm or your leg, things that are not considered organs yet are built upon many different types of tissue, muscle, and bone, then why is it that internal organs are the limiting factor?" She looked at him and spoke with honest words. "You should be able to heal your organs with that technology."

Ulquiorra felt as if ice had been dumped on him. He had, in fact, frozen in his movement of the tea cup towards his lips, staring wide-eyed at the girl across from him. She had been thinking and hadn't noticed his strong reaction. An anger like he had not felt for a long time seared through him, burning him from the inside.

"I wonder why it is…" she said absently, her mind elsewhere. "Perhaps some sort of signal? There must be some signals involved to stop the nanobots' reaction to certain events in the body. Maybe…"

His hand was shaking faintly, and he set the cup down, causing it to clatter noisily. One thought was prevalent in his mind: Aizen had lied to him about what he had done.

He knew it with such certainly it was an almost physically painful thought. And then the fear settled in combined with anger at himself. He had allowed Aizen to do what he wished, believing that he had the same interests. He had fallen in the same trap as the others, had trusted where he should never have, and now he would pay for it. Aizen controlled his ability to live. He chose what Ulquiorra could restore and what he couldn't, and explained it away as impossible to control. He had been a fool, and now it was too late. Aizen had made it so he was dependent on him. And, even worse, if Aizen could control that, what else could he control from that experiment?

There was nothing he could do about it now.

"I am going to need your abilities, until I am able to figure out what to do about that problem."

Her attention snapped back to him, surprised. "Oh, well, of course!" she stuttered, but then her surprise eased into a smile. "It looks like we both have things to work on, huh?"

He could only agree. "Indeed."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Ok, you know the drill. This is the part where I ask you to review. So, go on, review! :) Next chapter...a new character appears (well, new for this story, anyways), Aizen has something to reveal, and Orihime see's something she has never seen before.

Beta'd by a beardless chu! Huzzah!

**Metsfan101**: Thank you! Hopefully I will to present A+ material XD

**Nypsy**: I've always wondered where exactly Loly and Menoly fit. They were never given any Espada group, yet they seemed somewhat important enough for Kubo to keep them alive like he did. I honestly can't stand them, but they do serve a purpose, regardless, so I felt my best choice would be to put them in Harribels section. Harribel being the protective motherly type would ensure that even those two troublemakers would have a home. Haha, I must commend you on your guess for what happens next. You were correct! Thanks so much for your review!

**99vampires**: Thank you very much for stopping to review! I'm glad the progression doesn't seem to slow or too fast. I'm hoping for a happy medium of not being too rushed but still having a trend forward. As far as Aizen's plan…soon it will be revealed! That's all I can say ;)

**RAHbooks**: Thank you very much! UNMASKED gave us such great detail about Ulquiorra and even his relationship with Orihime. While subtle, it still managed to speak volumes. His back story was so heart wrenching…

**Wielbiciel**: I think it'd be funny for him to like sweets, especially when you'd think he'd like the opposite. I also like to think he might like Orihime's cooking, even if it was crazy, though I chose in this story to portray him differently. And I dunno why more people don't review… Ah well, I appreciate the reviews I do get, so thank you!

**Pardon the Insanity**: I'm glad you like that chapter. It really is one of my favorites, though I'm not always sure what others will like. Oh yes, he really was a Chatty Cathy! He liked to ask her questions just so he could tell her what _he_ thought, how she _should_ think. Yet it was always her response that seemed to stick with him. And I think if he ever did tell her about his past, like, if he woke up on that couch and told her his dream in UNMASKED, she would be upset for him.

The line you pulled out, good catch! Yes, it's very transitional, isn't it? He's accepting her consciously as someone he will look out for. A comrade. He might not dare put a name to what she is to him, but he knows it's something. While it might be convenient to say it's because of her favors, is that really all there is to it? ;)

Thank you as always for taking time to review! I really appreciate it!

Till next time

-Miss Soupy


	10. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10**

She looked around the crowded cafeteria for a free table. Spotting one, she maneuvered around people, her tray nearly hitting someone on the head, and sat down. Her stomach growled loudly, but she already had a fork in her hands.

Orihime found herself stopped, however, by a voice. "What are you doing?"

She paused, her fork dangling just before her lips with bits of rice already falling off of it, to look across the table where the sound had emanated.

Her eyes widened. "Oh!" Across from her was an annoyed looking girl. Orihime had not noticed her due to her short stature. "I'm sorry!"

The girl blinked before narrowing her pink eyes towards Orihime. "And who are you? I've never seen you before," she said suspiciously.

"I'm Orihime Inoue. I'm…fairly new I suppose," she answered with a smile that only served to make the girl more suspicious. "Uh maybe I should just…"

"So you're the one from Karakura," she supplied, finally sitting back as Orihime nodded. She pointed a thumb towards herself and said, "I'm Lilynette."

"N-nice to meet you."

"Starrk is my brother. Do you know him? He's one of the Espada."

Orihime looked thoughtful a moment. "No, I don't think I've met him before. Though, when I first came here, they were all in a room together."

The girl grinned. "He was probably the one barely awake. He is pretty lazy. Right now he is in a meeting."

Orihime leaned forward at this bit of information. "A meeting? That's where Ulquiorra went too…" She remembered seeing the white moth and feeling it had been too soon since the last summons. Only a day had progressed since Ulquiorra had taken his mission and returned barely alive.

"I guess it must be a full meeting," she guessed with a shrug.

"So you're here because your brother works here too?" Orihime asked, curious. It seemed strange such a young girl would be part of a company like HM Global.

"Yep," Lilynette replied, pulling at a strand of her green hair. "We only have each other now, so I live here too."

Orihime felt her heartstrings pull at the answer. Their circumstances reminded her so much of Sora and herself.

"I understand," she told her, brown eyes softening. "I know what that is like, to have a brother who is so important to you."

Lilynette looked at her like she had grown another head. "You do?"

She nodded. "I had an older brother named Sora who was pretty much my only family."

The girl's eyebrows furrowed. "Had?"

Suddenly Orihime realized that she had started a fairly sad conversation with someone she barely knew. The young girl looked somewhat horrified now, and it was too late to fix her mistake.

"W-well, he died. B-but its ok! I didn't want Sora to worry, so I've always kept walking forward. I want him to rest in peace knowing that I'm ok."

"So you were left alone?" Lilynette wasn't looking at her anymore, but was staring glumly at the table. "That's…pretty sad."

Orihime slumped down in her chair, feeling distressed she had caused such a dreary mood. "Ah…"

Suddenly the girl looked up at her. "So why is it that you seem so happy? I don't see how anyone who was left alone could be…"

She understood what the girl meant, because she had wrestled with such feelings many times before. Loneliness was a great fear of hers and had been ever since Sora was no longer in her life. Having another person to listen to you, talk to you, understand you, really meant a lot.

"I didn't want Sora to worry. I wanted to prove to him that he had helped raise me to be a strong person that could find happiness." She placed a hand against her heart. "Because Sora loved me I would always have a piece of him with me. Even if I felt lonely, I would remember that and feel better. It would have been a disservice to his memory to just give up."

For a moment, Lilynette was silent, watching her carefully. "But…aren't you lonely here? I know a little bit about you, that you are being forced to work for Aizen-sama. Don't you feel alone?"

She glanced to the side a moment, wondering if she felt that way. It was true that she had felt that way at first. How wouldn't she? She was cut off completely from her friends, the people that were her entire world. But wasn't she still moving forward? She had not yet completely lost hope of seeing them and being with them again. And in the meantime…did she feel alone?

"No, I don't feel alone. I did at first but…" she gave a small shrug. "I don't think people here are really that different than the people there."

"You're strange," Lilynette told her bluntly. "But I guess you might fit in with us after all." Then she shot Orihime a wide grin. "Don't worry - we watch out for anyone we consider our comrade. I'll make sure Starrk gets off his lazy ass and helps you if you need it."

Orihime blinked. "Th-thank you?"

"You said Ulquiorra left. So you stay in his section?"

Orihime nodded to confirm her suspicions.

"He's a really quiet guy, but Starrk says he's alright." Lilynette shrugged, getting up from the table. "I'll see you around. Come visit the 1st section if you are free. It gets lonely there sometimes."

"Alright!" Orihime promised, waving to her as she sauntered off. She smiled to herself, feeling glad she had made another friend. And she would need to remember to visit the girl; she didn't want anyone to feel lonely…especially a child.

Her stomach grumbled loudly, reminding her of the task at hand, and she once again turned her attention to her meal.

"Time to eat!"

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"I must commend you, my Espada, for being so patient."

Brown eyes swept across the table, looking at each of them.

"I'm sure you are all eager to move forward. I promised you a war, after all, and I am pleased to say we are nearly there."

Some could not contain their looks of glee at the thought of finally starting battle. Killing, destroying - these were the things that they cared about. But in this, Ulquiorra was more interested in the looks of discomfort. Glancing across the table, he was surprised to find Grimmjow staring down with a serious expression. He did not seem happy in the slightest.

"Thanks to recent efforts, we are able to move forward." Here he looked up at Aizen, knowing his eyes were upon him. "Ulquiorra, because you were essential in this, and because you handled your task extremely well, I am putting you in charge of creating a team to infiltrate Karakura Inc."

He closed his eyes, nodding humbly. The tension in the room, however, had skyrocketed.

"Karakura again?" Barragan ground out, obviously annoyed. "What great power do they hold?"

Aizen smiled and Barragan's scowl deepened. "I assure you they do have a power. It will be what decides the end of this war."

Szayel looked up, intrigued, perhaps against his own desires. Many others simply looked confused or indifferent.

"What is this power, Aizen-sama?" Szayel asked, leaning forward in his chair. "I'm surprised to hear that they have anything that would be so influential. What is it?"

"I understand your confusion, Szayel. But it is a great secret of Kisuke Urahara's. Something of which I learned, even as he tried to seal it away forever. But he is just a man tempted by power, like any other man, and I am sure he did not remove it entirely. No, what I seek will lie amongst his files, hidden perhaps, but still there."

"You are looking for a file?" Ulquiorra surmised, looking up to see Aizen nod.

"Yes, a file. Something so simple, yet there is nothing more important."

"This file," Harribel spoke, her voice careful. "You will use it to defeat them?"

"Yes. We will use it to defeat Soul Systems," Aizen confirmed, impressing on them the importance of what he sought. "Once you get this file, Karakura Inc. will be of no further use. Soul Systems will fall to our superior technology."

Aizen allowed the information to sink in and sipped his tea calmly. They were itching for battle. They had been created for it, after all.

"Ulquiorra, it is up to you to create a team and, in two days time, enter Karakura Inc. to retrieve the file. I think Orihime-san will be of use in this, for she certainly will know the building well." He placed his head on his folded fingers and continued his instruction. "I do not want Soul Systems to interfere. They have pulled out their forces due to the attacks on their property. This is the moment I have been waiting for, when Karakura will be left bare. You will also need to handle whoever Karakura utilizes to protect themselves if they discover you. This task is important enough that I will allow you to remove your restraints, but only under risk of complete failure of the mission. Anything less will not be tolerated. I trust that you are all skilled enough to do this task without using your full capabilities, as I have seen to it that the target is as weak as possible."

His eyes were sharp as he looked at them, making sure they understood the seriousness of his request. What he desired was extremely important, and they would face death if they did not do as told.

"Finally, Orihime-san must be the one retrieving the file." Ulquiorra's eyes shot towards his leader. "Their system will recognize your signatures as foreign. That I am sure of."

Ulquiorra's mind reeled. He had not thought of involving her further than the initial planning stage. Now it would seem she was to join them on the mission. An extremely dangerous one, none the less. But he could not argue. The tone in which Aizen spoke told him of the danger of speaking out. They all knew it, felt that enormous pressure upon them, suffocating them. It was nearly unbearable.

"Ulquiorra, I trust your judgment on this. You cannot afford to make any mistakes."

He nodded slowly, glancing again to Grimmjow, who was staring intensely at him. Oddly, it was not a look of jealousy or annoyance, but instead a look of purpose.

"Yes, Aizen-sama."

"Now, the file."

A great hush fell across the room. Even Yammy, who was not in any way bright, knew to be completely silent, his oversized mouth hanging open in suspense.

"It is called 'hogyoku'."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

She sat at the top of the stairs, performing the latest activity she could come up with to entertain herself. A black blur shot in her direction, and she caught it tightly in her grip. Swinging her arm back, she released the tiny ball, which flew across the room while emitting a high pitched squeak. Then, as before, it zoomed back in her direction to be caught up again.

"Catch is more fun with two people," she told the eye, making it blink repeatedly up at her. The eye roamed restlessly, as if dizzy from its experiences. Her arm launched back again and it went flying.

It was unusual for Ulquiorra not to be back by the end of the work day. He always accompanied her back to the apartment; she knew that had partly to do with her being unable to enter without him. Of course, it had been surprising to find the eye leading her back without him, but somehow the door had opened for them.

She knew there was something bothering him, ever since the night she had healed him. His eyes had been so wide, yet his face so still. It was as if he could contain all emotion in his eyes alone. But she had felt it too, the anger boiling just below the surface. It had been the first time she had felt any strong emotion from him. With it, she had caught a glimpse of the power neatly contained in his small, willowy frame.

Had he gotten the power he wanted? Was that what Aizen had given him?

Whatever Aizen had done, it did not seem to make him happy. Orihime was fairly certain anything Aizen did could not make someone happy, not when the man only did things that served his own purpose and no other.

Her eyebrows knitted together, and she caught the eye before promptly throwing it back. It was then that the door opened, and her attention shifted to the figure entering.

"Welcome back!" she called, attempting to stand, but something solid and black collided with her forehead and she fell back upon the stairs. "Owww.." She rubbed at the red mark as the eye spun dizzily on the ground nearby.

His hands were in his pockets as he stared straight ahead. It appeared he hadn't heard her and instead had a far off look to him. His fingers loosened the neck of his jacket absentmindedly. Ulquiorra walked until he stood before his drawn curtains across the room from the doorway. Pulling them aside, he revealed a wall of windows and through them the night sky with its sliver of a moon. It was the sky he chose to see.

Getting up, she left the stairs and moved to stand by him. His head moved discretely, and she knew it was an acknowledgment of her presence. Normally, she would have tried to say something, ask him a question, talk, fill the void with sound. But this time she stayed silent. She watched him, looking up through her lashes so he wouldn't see. He was looking steadily out the window at the moon, and his features, to her surprise, seemed relaxed. An overwhelming feeling of fondness rushed over her suddenly, and she felt a sudden desire to reach out and touch him. Perhaps his arm, or his hand, anything that would tell her he was there, and not something as distant as the fake moon outside.

She blinked at her strange feelings. Why did she want to do such a thing? Of course he was there. He was ordered to be.

His head turned, and her vision was filled with vivid green as his eyes fell upon her. Suddenly, she felt too hot for reasons she did not understand. She had stood too close, their faces were right next to each other. She could see clearly that though the tear streaks running down his cheeks were teal, his eyes held specks of a darker, lush green. Her lips parted in surprise, but the movement was not missed by him as his gaze flickered down for the briefest of moments.

_Would he…_

Her breath caught. What was she doing? They both stood there, transfixed, and mutely she realized she didn't want him to look away. His eyes somehow seemed softer, open, in a way she had never seen. Not even a moment ago when he had seemed at peace at the window.

Then, he blinked, and when his lids opened again everything had changed. Things fell back into place as he straightened, pulling his frame away from her, his head turning to look at the floor. Her lips closed, cold, and she too looked down.

Why did she insist on destroying herself? Did she not love Ichigo? Had a few weeks locked away made her forget who she was?

"We have a mission." His voice seemed distant in the small space between them. As if he wished to detach himself from his own words.

"We?"

"Yes, you will be part of it."

She could almost sense the words he would soon say, but still she asked, "What is it?"

"We are infiltrating Karakura Inc."

Orihime squeezed her eyes shut. _Of course. Of …_

"Aizen-sama desires a file. We must get it."

He so coldly delivered this message, knowing how she would feel. Were they not beyond such indifferences?

"And if we get it," he went on, his voice filling with new meaning, and she found herself opening her eyes to look up at him. "Karakura Inc. will no longer be of interest to him."

Her brown eyes went wide in understanding. "I…"

Yes, he knew. He knew what her reactions would be, and because he knew, he also would know what to say. There was an insistent look in his eyes, and she knew what he meant by it.

"I'll do it," she said, her eyes turning determined. "I'll get that file. I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe."

He nodded, his feathery black hair brushing against his nose. "I know."

His words were not mocking, merely truthful, but she felt stronger because of them. It told her he was going to be there. He had said 'we' because he was not going to leave her to it alone. She did not need to touch him to know he was there. His silent company was enough.

No, she had not forgotten who she was. She was still Orihime Inoue, a foolish girl who blindly agreed to whatever pretty words seemed safest. She was still the girl who fell in love with a guy she might not ever tell. She was still the girl forced to work for a company she didn't agree with. She was still the girl realizing she might have been put where she needed to be.

And…she was still the girl finding herself drawn more and more to the person standing in front of her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I realize this is a shorter chapter, but next chapter is longer. It just happened to be a good break for me to end it here. Please review! Next week, Orihime and Ulquiorra do some planning and then the team mobilizes. Should be interesting...it's another favorite chapter of mine.

Beta'd by a pizza eating chu.

**Straightforward Dude**: Oh, I feel like I know you from somewhere…

**Sasusakuislovelyy:** Glad I can brighten your day, if just a little, with this story :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Ulquihime7980**: About your question… Aizen is a very charismatic man. He tends to say things in a certain way that veils the truth while still making others believe he is being open with them. This would be the case with Ulquiorra. He knows Aizen is looking out for himself, yet he can't help but put trust in him. I don't think Ulquiorra could have followed Aizen if he did not think, at least a little, that Aizen had some positive intent for him. So when Aizen tells him you will heal yourself better than most, but it is imperfect, he would not immediately doubt it. After all, Aizen was not admitting his power being perfect. It was an experiment, that is what it was always called. Ulquiorra therefore wouldn't be as worried about its short-comings. And the mechanics of his ability might not be something he looked much into. This is the thinking behind why Ulquiorra did not notice something that might seem obvious. Orihime, however, is an outsider and has no prior motivations to think a certain way about it. She just says what makes sense, and Ulquiorra has his 'ah ha!' moment that she is probably right.

I hope that makes sense! Thank you for reading!

**99vampiress**: Haha, well, as Ulquiorra said, he wouldn't have had such a difficult time if he wasn't under such restraints. For one he simply had to be seen, and another, he couldn't use his greatest power. I also considered poison to be a weakness that would be more difficult to Ulquiorra, in his position, to protect against. Luckily, he is such a quick thinking guy! Thank you for reading and telling me your thoughts on this :)

**Nypsy**: I'm glad you really liked the chapter! I think that moment where Ulquiorra realizes that Orihime would be upset if something happened to him is huge. No one has ever cared for him on that level without there being something in it for themselves (as shown by his life under his previous name). It's too bad right when he discovers this he also discovers that Aizen has such a grip on him.

Thank you, as always, for supporting this story and reviewing!

**RAHbooks:** Mwaha, yes, someone else controlling that aspect about you would be…very chilling. Unfortunately, it's hard to beat Aizen at his own game, especially such lost souls as the Espada. Of course, now Orihime, at least, is looking after his well-being in her own way. That will mean a lot. Glad you are enjoying the story progression :)

**Pardon the Insanity**: Haha, I've been trying to figure out how I would feel while reading a story like this. I realize it is pretty cruel to keep things going along without that huge moment where romance occurs without a doubt. I'd probably be fairly crazed by now, waiting for that moment. I'm glad though, that the more intimate moment of the healing was satisfying. It is a small thing in the realm of romance, but for them it should be monumental.

I think Orihime is someone who, once they decide they have forgiven any ill-will towards someone, will stand by that conviction. She showed as much with the twins, in that whatever harm they threw at her she still attempted to defend them. After deciding he was not her enemy, and even admitting she thought him a good person, she could not, at least, _completely_ abandon him.

I'm glad you liked how I handled the action! I know a lot of writers have a lot of anxiety over action scenes and may feel uncomfortable with writing them at all. I try not to go into too much detail, just enough to paint a good enough picture that the reader can fill in some of the blank spots with their own imagination. It's always good to hear you are handling these scenes well :)

You are completely correct in saying I enjoyed writing that healing scene! It was a scene I had planned from fairly early on. It was one of those scenes that I imagined could really progress them further, and I've always liked the connection between Orihime being able to heal and Ulquiorra having an ability that can do so as well. I also love the idea of Orihime being strong for him, and it was the perfect opportunity to show that she could and would act if he needed her.

I'm sorry to hear your semester has been rough, and I really appreciate even in the business that you take the time to read this fic and send me your thoughts. Just as others get excited about seeing a new chapter, I get giddy about seeing people's thoughts and opinions on it. So thank you again for your kind words and encouragement!

Until next chapter!

-Miss Soupy


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

There were pages scattered across the table. Maps, design plans, and anything else that could be helpful towards the creation of his plan. He took up a page and handed it to her.

"This details the access points that our scouts found. Are you aware of any which might be preferable?"

Her brows furrowed in concentration as she looked over the page with six neat x's marked at various locations. Finally, her finger settled on one. "Here." It was a mark on the first floor, which he had been considering due to its proximity to escape. "I remember discovering some holes in the defense here. I meant to fix them, but I was demoted and went off to Soul Systems with Kuchiki-san soon after."

Looking up at her, he asked, "Did Kisuke Urahara know of any flaws? This was not something assigned to you, was it?"

Orihime shook her head. "No. I'm pretty sure he didn't know, and it definitely wasn't something assigned to me. Given that it had weaknesses, I'm fairly sure it was forgotten."

Taking back the map, he made a note and circled the spot she indicated. "And you will be able to access the system through this point? Is it at all restricted?"

She gave him a lop-sided grin. "It's not restricted. That's why I knew something was weird about it. It was a very open point for being non-restricted. They will know if someone accesses it, but…" Her finger tapped against the table as she thought. "I think the best plan is to be open about our accessing the system."

His head moved to the side to give her a curious look. "Why is that?"

"Well," she spread out her fingers. "If we act sneaky, they will react quickly if they happen to notice something abnormal. I think it might be better to be more honest, especially if I'm the one who needs to be doing this. If they see that it is me, and I use emergency codes, they might think I am trying to make contact with someone. They won't immediately assume danger for them, which would mean they will react more slowly if it is only danger for myself."

His eyes lit up with something akin to satisfaction. Her quick thinking had impressed him. She was not the care-free girl she seemed, but instead held a keen ability to understand people and their reactions. Where he might have assumed they would be using whatever stealth tactics possible, she offered an even better option by hiding in broad daylight and acting right under their noses. People tended to see what they wished to see and, if not directly threatened, would not likely act on a guess.

"I can agree with that," he told her, and she gave a small smile. "But if that is the case, it might be a good idea to further create this illusion by causing a true emergency."

Her smiled dropped, and suddenly she looked worried so he explained, "I cannot see this mission completed if they are free to send people wherever they wish to investigate us. We need their fighters off station. They must be drawn into battle elsewhere to buy us enough time."

"I suppose that's true…" she said, looking somewhat defeated and unable to think of a counter-argument.

Ignoring her dismay, he questioned, "How much time do you think you need?"

"Well…" she thought a moment. "40 minutes would be comfortable, but I have a feeling I'll need to take much less time than that."

"I think maximum we are looking at 20 minutes. Probably more around 15."

She bit her lip but nodded. It would be difficult, especially when she was being forced to work under a pressure she was not used to. But she would need to do this if she wished her friends safety.

"The faster you work, the less time we need to be fighting. Remember that. If you truly believe that your friendship with them makes you a stronger person, use whatever strength you can in order to complete this task as quickly as possible."

Her eyes swung to him and she nodded. His words had brought her determination back. It was not surprising to see, yet the source of her resolve still made little sense. Was it not just a trick of the mind?

Ulquiorra blinked, feeling tiredness in his eyes. He had not slept well since learning of his new assignment and instead had used his insomnia to research whatever he could about Karakura Inc. There was not much more time, and he still had much to finish. While Orihime seemed to know her part quite well, there needed to more than the two of them involved to pull off something like this. At least there seemed to be a possibility of obtaining volunteers, for Grimmjow had already texted him regarding a new meeting. Surely, this sudden interest meant something. Grimmjow's seriousness had confused him; perhaps at the meeting, he would learn more of it.

One positive occurrence was that he had been able to fix the bracelet that had been damaged at Soul Systems. He would need to use it to enter Karakura Inc. without detection and to aid in their escape. The part that made him uncomfortable, however, was that he only had three eyes remaining: the one that he usually used, and two more primitive types. He did not foresee having enough time to create more. They would have to do.

"So…" she asked suddenly, and he realized he had gotten lost in his thoughts. "How do you feel about this?"

He blinked at her a moment, not understanding the purpose of her question. "How do I feel?"

Orihime nodded. It was then that he noticed she seemed quite nervous. "I mean, do you feel pretty confident about this? Is this a normal job for you, or is it more difficult?"

"Most jobs Aizen-sama asks of us are dangerous," he admitted, and she gulped loudly. "But this…seems extremely important to him. I suppose there is more weight on this mission than most. For that reason, I feel…slightly apprehensive. But generally I do not feel much of anything."

She sank back in her chair with a sigh. "I wish I could stop feeling for a moment. This is all so…intimidating!"

"Well, it is an important mission," he told her bluntly, causing her to moan, and cover her eyes.

"I'm going to die, I know it! I will probably be knocked out right away or something!"

Ulquiorra sighed. "I will not let you die. I will protect your person, if need be."

This did not seem to cheer her up much, but she did remove her hands. "I guess…" Her voice got quiet then as she asked, "You said, before, that it hurt. When you were…transformed."

He stared at her, wondering why she was mentioning such a thing. "Yes. The pain was indescribable."

"How else did you feel?"

Ulquiorra thought a moment. "Cold," he decided, trying to find the words to describe what he remembered. Such memories were not pleasant. "I remember being extremely cold, and afraid. Yes, I had not known such fear before."

"And afterwards?"

His eyes fell. "Still cold. But I did not feel the same. My body did not feel as brittle as it once was. And I…" he hesitated, feeling her intent gaze. "I suppose I felt as if I had been given a second chance to do as I wished." Ulquiorra released a slow breath through his nose. Would she understand this at all? His thoughts were so confused. What did he appear to another? A sad mockery of existence? Pitiable? Perhaps he was just a fool.

"Mostly I was empty. The despair felt distant, locked away. I considered that feeling of nothing to be happiness."

But that despair was not gone forever. It was there still, inside, waiting for the moment he released it. And, if he ever needed his greatest power, he would have to.

"And now?"

He looked at her, wondering, thinking. Emptiness had never ceased to be his goal. But she…she was the opposite of nothing. What would it be like for her presence to disappear from his life? Would the emptiness be able to comfort him? She could not exist in the void with him, no matter what he might desire.

Her pretty face was turned to him and she sat patiently. Her crimson hair fell gently over her shoulder, and her warm brown eyes watched him intently. She was still waiting for an answer.

"I do not know." He frowned, not enjoying the answer he had given.

Surprisingly, she did not pry further and instead turned her attention back to the map of Karakura Inc. Taking a moment, he checked his phone, and found he had missed a message.

_It's time._

Tucking his phone away, he got up. "I need to meet with some of the other Espada to finalize our plans. I'll be back before the end of the day."

"Ok."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The meeting was in the 1st section this time. Like usual, he was the first to arrive, but Starrk was not far behind. Ulquiorra knew the man could move quite quickly when he had reason to. For some reason, Starrk seemed abnormally eager to meet.

"Ulquiorra," he said, nodding as he entered. Ulquiorra reclined his head in return. "So are you planning? I guess if it had been me I might be procrastinating on it, but I doubt you have been."

"I have some things planned," he confirmed. "But I am undecided on who else will be participating."

That would be an important decision, he knew. In order to control the situation, he would prefer to bring those that were less destructive. But at the same time, some would be more likely to fight with all they had, making the diversion seem more real.

"Ah, yes, I wanted to talk to you about that…" Starrk brought a hand up to scratch the back of his head distractedly. "I guess I'm offering my services for this mission."

Ulquiorra stared flatly at the odd behavior Starrk was exhibiting. "I am surprised at your…eagerness…"

Starrk coughed into his hand. "Yeah…it wasn't exactly my idea."

"Then…whose idea was it?"

The tall man sighed. "Lilynette's. She met that girl, Orihime. She decided I need to watch out for her." He glanced to the side, annoyed. "She was pretty adamant about it."

It was no secret that the top Espada's younger sister was very vocal and tended to get her way. In the end, Starrk was not up to arguing over something when it was easier to just acquiesce.

"I will consider it," was all he could give, as soon the door opened and the other Espada began entering.

This time he sat and received many surprised looks. He did not comment on it. Ever since he had learned of Aizen's deceit, he found it pointless to pretend. If there was a better path, he would take it.

It was Grimmjow who spoke first, looking at him. "Whatever you are planning, I'm going."

Ulquiorra felt himself prickle at the other mans forwardness. "And what gives you the right to decide? I am in charge of this operation. I will decide who is going."

Grimmjow met his angry glance evenly. "I need to finish things with Kurosaki. This time I will kill him for good."

"That is not the purpose of this mission. If you cannot focus on what needs to be done, there is no reason to bring you."

"The true problem I see is Soul Systems," Szayel said, trying to change the topic to something more important. "If they find out Karakura is being attacked, they will be there quick enough."

"Yes," he agreed, taking the opportunity to look away from a furious Grimmjow. "Perhaps it would be best to form two teams. One to subdue Soul Systems, the other to handle Karakura."

"Then, I might have a few ideas on what to do," the pink haired man continued, his glasses glinting dangerously. "I've heard that their science division is remarkable, but perhaps I can keep them entertained."

Ulquiorra nodded, agreeing with that idea, but then he looked at Harribel. "I think it would be good to have back-up. Your ability could be quite disabling as well."

"Yes, I'll do it. I owe you and Orihime-san."

He blinked in surprise, but continued. "Your objective will simply be keeping Soul Systems from arriving to Karakura."

Now came the harder part. Harribel was a great fighter but also had a cool head. She would not deviate from what needed to be done, and she would be crippling for Soul Systems' efforts to make it to Karakura. Szayel, for the most part, had his own agenda, but he did not enjoy battle as much and would be an easy person to convince to retreat. His remaining choices were Starrk, Grimmjow, Nnoitra, and Barragan. The other two Espada who were not invited to these meetings, Yammy and Aaroniero, would also not be suitable. Yammy had no distinction in those he attacked and was therefore very much uncontrollable. Aaroniero was a sort of experimental project and thus quite unstable. He was only allowed to participate in certain missions.

Barragan offered a very destructive technology, but he did not think he wished to trust it in this case.

He thought he could force either Grimmjow or Nnoitra to retreat if needed, but probably not both. Then, an idea stuck him, a reminder of what Harribel had said.

_I owe you and Orihime-san._

Closing his eyes, he swept through his idea mentally, and then, once deciding, opened them to look at the others. "Barragan-san," he said, speaking to the elder Esapda first. "I think your abilities are best served in the war and not in this mission."

"Fine by me," he grunted, and Ulquiorra turned to Nnoitra and Grimmjow.

"I have decided that you two will be useful. However," he allowed a steely look to cross his features. "You are to remember your mission. Your job is to prevent Karakura from stopping us from retrieving the file. You are to keep them fighting so they cannot do that. You are not to transform unless you feel they will be able to get to us. No exceptions. If you do transform for your own reasons, I will not hesitate to inform Aizen-sama of this. He desires these forms to be secret until the right moment, and you are to abide by this rule." Then he looked only at Nnoitra who was giving a toothy frown. "I would like you to bring your subordinate, Tesra, for added support." The lanky man looked confused, but opted not to ask of it.

"And Starrk," the lounging man sat up with a frown at the call of his name. "I will accept your offer, but I would recommend you stay mostly on the side-lines. If any of the three leaders of Karakura Inc. show up, the rest of us will be no match for them. But otherwise, I think it is best if we use you for a getaway."

Somehow, Starrk seemed relieved, though Ulquiorra thought it was mostly because his job seemed easier.

_Only if Kisuke Urahara or the other two do not arrive_, he thought grimly. It was the one thing that could really hinder his plan.

"Are we in agreement?"

He was quick to look at Grimmjow, who seemed to have a dangerous glint in his eyes. The man would have to be watched closely, which meant he would need to lose one of his eyes to keep with him.

They all nodded, and with the promise of messaging them with the time they would move out, they all left to prepare. This plan felt full of risks, something he did not enjoy. Usually he planned around anything that might be troublesome for him, but he was forced to deal with other people. And, against his own judgment perhaps, he was attempting to keep the sanity of his ward. He knew, with such great assurance, that if any of her friends were fatally harmed, she would completely shut down. She was doing everything for them. If he allowed Grimmjow to do as he wished, she would be forever changed. Forever broken.

He would need to speak to Tesra, to ingrain in him the importance of the people his master was going to fight, and possibly kill, to the girl who had saved his life. If he could not do that, if any of them were killed, everything would fall apart.

Upon further thought, Ulquiorra could admit that this mission was much more difficult than anything he had ever encountered. Wide brown eyes and an endless smile made sure of that.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

They met at dawn, just when the dark blue of the sky met with a faint pink on the horizon. Orihime, for the first time since starting at HM Global, was wearing clothes she had picked out for herself. They were items from her own closet - a printed skirt and a blouse. And, even more importantly, it was the first time in so long she had actually been outside. She breathed in the scent of morning, but her nerves only allowed her a small smile.

A car was waiting by the curb with a tall man leaning up against it. His head hung, as if he were napping, but he lifted an eye when they approached.

"I don't really care for these early morning meet-ups," he said, yawning and lifted off of the car to walk over to them. "So, I guess I get to meet this Orihime my sister talks about."

Orihime blinked up, realization dawning on her face. "Oh! You're Starrk-kun? It's nice to meet you!"

Starrk scratched at his face as he looked her over. "Lilynette doesn't get to talk to many people, so hopefully you could spend some time with her. I usually don't let her come with me on missions, which really pisses her off."

Orihime smiled good-naturedly. "Of course! I'd like to visit her. I don't have many friends here myself…" She glanced sideways at Ulquiorra who was pretending not to listen by looking away.

Starrk had begun to mumble, "She really does have bo-" but her attention had shifted to the other people joining them.

"Tesra-kun!" she exclaimed, as Nnoitra and his subordinate came towards them.

The blonde looked less than happy, but managed to give her a nod. For some reason he looked paler, and Orihime wondered if he might be sick.

"The other two have gone on. They have more to prepare," Nnoitra told them, openly eyeing Orihime before turning his attention to Ulquiorra who nodded at the information.

"Then, we are still missing Grim-" The sound of an engine revving cut him off, and they looked to see a very loud motorcycle coming towards. Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but said nothing as the bike came to a stop near them.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" Grimmjow shot at them. "We're cutting them off before they make it to the building, right?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra confirmed. Tactfully, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the round eye that was to monitor Grimmjow. It was time to release him, and Ulquiorra wanted to be sure he did not get out of sight. "Let's begin."

He opened the door to the backseats on the white SUV Starrk drove. On the side was a blue silhouette of running wolves. He held the door for Orihime, who proceeded to climb into in the back. As Nnoitra chose the front passenger seat, Ulquiorra took the opportunity to stop Tesra with a few words.

"This is an important mission," he told him in a low voice, the young man freezing to listen. "That woman saved your life. Because of this, there is something you should be aware of. The people your master will be fighting, the members of Karakura Inc., are more important to her than her own life. If they are killed…she too would be destroyed."

He stepped away, entering the car himself to allow Tesra a moment for things to sink in. Seconds later he also entered, paler even than before, sitting in the seat directly behind Nnoitra, while Ulqiuorra sat behind Starrk.

"We're off," Starrk said lightly, starting his car. Grimmjow wasted no time, pulling out in front of them. Lowering the window, Ulquiorra released the ball held in his hand, and watched it flutter after the bike. Orihime too had seen it, but didn't ask. Instead she looked at the back of Ulquiorra's still head, wishing for some of his calm. He wasn't acting any different than he did during a normal day in the lab. Her insides felt like liquid, and she could barely find the words to say anything.

Looking out the window, she soon began to recognize the area. The traffic was heavy with the morning commute, and already, people would be arriving to Karakura Inc. to start the day.

_This is near where Sado-kun lives_, she realized. Soon he too would be heading off to work, oblivious of what was going to occur. The car was slowing, and a moment later Starrk pulled off to the side.

"Looks like it's our stop," Nnoitra said, looking back at Tesra.

"Yes sir…"

"Remember what I told you." Ulquiorra said, his green eyes seeming to bore into Nnoitra's thin slants.

"Yeah yeah, I got it." The two piled out of the car, shutting the door. Tesra glanced back at Orihime, who gave him a small wave and smile.

_Maybe he is nervous like I am…_ she thought, feeling a bit better about her own nerves.

Quickly the car merged back into traffic, heading purposefully closer and closer to the building she was so fond of. Suddenly she didn't want to just be sitting alone in the back staring at the black hair before her. She would have felt better at least being next to him, but she dared not move.

As if sensing her fear, he turned to look at her, his eyes searching her face. "Are you ready?"

She willed him to understand her turbulent emotions with her eyes, but managed to nod her head quietly. He blinked at her, as if hesitating, and then pulled out something from his pocket.

"Give me your hand."

She did, and he took it, slipping something small and cool around her wrist. Confused, Orihime blinked down at what looked to be an average looking bracelet.

"Oh, th-thank you…" she said, her face feeling slightly hot. He had never given her a gift before, and it was surprising to see him give her jewelry of all things.

"Woman," he said, somewhat exasperated. "This is a device that will conceal you from view."

"Oh!" She laughed at herself, embarrassed. Turning it around her wrist, she asked, "How does it work?"

"My cameras will take pictures and send them to this device, which will arrange them in order and project them out. It will hide you from view by projecting an empty image of the very place you stand."

"It…it will make me invisible?"

"Yes."

She touched the bracelet gently, in awe of such a creation. Ulquiorra really was a genius if he could come up with something like that. "It's beautiful."

He felt a thickness in his chest at her compliment and for a moment he had almost forgotten that Starrk was there, watching, listening. Turning away, he looked around and saw they were close to their destination. He shoved his strange thoughts aside and focused on his next task: getting inside safely.

Starrk stopped the car across the road, and Ulquiorra and Orihime got out. The bracelet had already been turned on, and Ulquiorra could no longer see her, but knew she was near.

"I'll call if something comes up. Keep your eye out for Urahara, Youruichi, or Tessai. In the mean time, stay close." Starrk nodded, and he closed the door.

"Woman," he said softly, and he felt a hand at his sleeve. He felt along her arm for the bracelet, and increased its radius. Meanwhile, two eye-cameras fluttered off before them. "Stay close." As long as he remained close to the bracelet, he too could be hidden behind the projection.

Understanding, she linked her arm through his so that the bracelet sat between them, and he led the way across the street. Slipping through the door right after someone else, they found themselves inside. Down the right side led to the little restaurant where Karakura had held its party. Straight ahead was the lobby with the elevators. Further down were a few rooms used for meetings. It was this way they set off.

A few times, they needed to stop as others entered the hallway. He would pull her silently against the wall, so no one could possibly hear footsteps they did not expect. She clung to his arm, fearful they would be found out and finding it ironic she would care. But she did, because she had been told this would keep these people safe.

They turned a corner and kept going. They were nearing a part of the building that used to be used for monitoring and defense, but then a floor had been dedicated to that alone, and the few rooms on the ground floor had been shut down.

"It's here," she whispered, and after looking around, they opened the door and closed it quietly behind and locked it. He turned off the bracelet and released her, and she turned on the lights. Ulquiorra wanted to be sure that this security room did not still hold the capability to detect foreign signals. Outside, two of his eye cameras monitored the halls in case they would need to disappear again.

Orihime wandered to an empty wall. Part of the room was filled with shelves and another corner held desks. Almost all of the equipment had been removed however. She felt along the walls, trying to locate the hidden panel. Knocking, she found the part she was searching to be solid, so she moved on. This next part made a hollow echo when she knocked, and she was able to find a small indentation to pry at, removing the panel and revealing a small screen and keyboard.

Ulquiorra looked around cautiously. While he could not detect anything harmful, he could not be sure it was not hidden like the access panel had been.

"Wait," he told her, and she watched him patiently. Closing his eyes, he allowed his vision to shift between his cameras. The halls were clear. The few people who went by acted normal, not showing any signs of suspicion. Switching views again, he saw Grimmjow firing a cero at another person who dodged and swung a heavy sword. He had already found Ichigo.

Coming back to himself, he looked at Orihime who was still waiting for his go-ahead. Taking a breath, he said, "Alright. Go carefully."

She nodded and pulled a thin cord from one of her hairpins. She connected it to the panel as she began typing on the keyboard. For a brief moment, things seemed to be going alright. But then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. A high pitched squeak sounded once followed by a cool female voice saying 'warning', and before Ulquiorra could react, a thin red shield had erupted around where Orihime stood. Across the screen a message was repeated over and over again: _warning_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm sorry, but yes, dreaded cliffhanger. But there was some good teamwork in this chapter, as well as a little more insight on Ulquiorra's transformation. I liked being able to write these Espada together too. I think it would have been great to see them all working with one another. Next chapter there will be some fighting, and a big change will occur. In the mean time, review please!

Beta'd by a smart, smart, smart, smart smart, chu!

**RAHbooks**: I know, so many teases... What I like about this relationship is how it evolves, so I like writing about it continuously changing, without them noticing even. Stockholme Syndrome? Hah, no way! I dont think Orihime has been under nearly enough stress, haha. Glad you like Lilynette in the story! She will show up again ;)

**nypsy**: Thank you for the holiday wishes! The busy-ness kept me from updating, but I hope to get back into the swing of things and post more regularly. Yes, another almost-moment, but I hope at least the trend continues to be fulfilling. I can't tell you how many almost-moments might be left, but hopefully you will like what is in store! Thanks for reading!

**Pardon the Insanity**: Glad you liked Lilynette! It was fun imagining how she might get along with Orihime. Actually, I like doing that for many of the Espada who really didn't get to meet her. I tend to think she would get along with them. She is a person who somehow can fit in with misfits, lol!

For some reason, the 'Orihime playing catch' scene was something that popped into my head early on in coming up with that chapter. I'm glad it was liked! It seemed very amusing and in character to me, for her to do something like that to entertain herself.

The eyesmex! It cannot be contained! Yeah, I loved that about how Kubo wrote them. So many glances that were left up to the reader to define. Whatever he had in mind, those looks were heavy and full of meaning, to say the least. While I'm no where near as poetic as Kubo, I can't help but add glances and looks whenever I can. I guess just staring into each others eyes is how they flirt, haha.

Yes, it's very true that UlquiHime is so wonderful because of Orihimes show of strength. I mean, the slap scene is what created the fandom, in a way. It was what changed my opinion about what I thought was a likable crack-pairing. Any panels of Orihime being strong I tend to gobble up. I fully intend to write this kind of Orihime, but of course it makes it easier with Ulquiorra around.

Thanks!

-Miss Soupy


	12. Chapter 12

**Ch. 12**

Orihime had gasped the moment the shield had surrounded her. It was transparent like her own orange shield, but instead it was a crimson color. Panicked, she looked to Ulquiorra who had flown towards her, his eyes searching for the shield's source. He didn't touch it at first, afraid of what it might do, but his heart thundered rapidly in his chest seeing Orihime on the opposite side of it.

"Ulquiorra!" she called, a scared edge to her voice. He looked up at her to see the cause of her fear. The screen now displayed a number that was slowly counting down. It was a timer. They stared at the screen, horrified. She was trapped inside with what appeared to be a ticking time bomb.

"Woman, get back," he commanded her, preparing to strike at the shield with all he had.

"W-wait!" she begged, her eyes wide with fear. "We don't know anything about this!"

"There is no time," he shot back while knowing she was right. He had limited options, but just waiting for her demise was not one he was willing to take. Fear like he had never known gripped him now and destruction, the only solution he could muster, called to him.

"Just let me think!"

She looked around wildly, first to the faint red light that flashed within her box and then at the warning sign crossing the screen around the timer that had now ticked past 110. Everything seemed so over the top, and it made no sense to her why there would be a defense like this in place. What was the purpose of the timer? The signature was definitely Urahara's. In her minds eye she saw him, smiling and waving his fan coyly. It was just like him to be so dramatic. Dramatic, yet frightening.

Then, a thought struck her and her eyes widened.

"It's…it's a trick!" She swung around to look at Ulquoirra who looked doubtfully back at her. "This is all set up so you panic and do something rash!"

Her mind was already running forward. Yes, it seemed to be a great possibility. To anyone unaware, like themselves, it would seem obvious to just attack. Thus the timer would drive them to do so in fear of what might happen when it reached 0. But if he truly didn't want anyone using the access point, it would have been easier to just close it down rather than keeping it activated and installing a trap. She knew that this access point was still in operation and was thus usable.

"I'm sure of it!" she called, deciding. Taking even breaths, she tried to calm herself so that perhaps he might as well. His eyes looked abnormally large, and she knew he must be on edge. She had never seen such a look from him; it was wild, and Ulquiorra was always so collected.

"You have no way of knowing for sure," he shot back, still desiring to strike at the barrier and be done with it.

"I know I can't be completely sure," she told him steadily, meeting his gaze. "But this is something I am willing to stake my life on at this point."

"Do not be a fool," he told her, his pulse racing faster as the timer continued to tick down. It had passed 40 seconds.

Orihime squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Her eyes never left his. "You should trust me. I'm going to be fine."

There was nothing he could do now, she had decided. If he acted now and something did happen to her because of it, he was not sure how he could go on from there. Everything seemed to be coming to a point in this one moment. Ulquiorra realized with a settling fear that if the person before him died, he would not ever be the same. He wanted to curse Aizen and himself and her for this situation. It was causing reactions of which he did not think himself capable. And there she was, standing calmly, unafraid, while he was crumbling, exploding from within as he could only watch her.

He hated it, hated that feeling of helplessness, and she was the cause. Why had he been such a fool? Why had he allowed himself to become attached?

He readied to strike when the timer reach 10, but her eyes made him stop.

"It's ok," she told him with a small smile, and she closed her eyes, waiting for whatever would occur.

4…3….2…1…

At once the red light stopped flashing and there was a loud noise as the red shield shattered. The same cool voice from before issued a 'thank you', and the screen lit up, ready for use. And there stood Orihime, unharmed and free, a confident smile on her face.

"See. I knew Urahara-san would do the complete opposite of what you might expect."

But in an instant he had grabbed her wrist tightly. "We should retreat."

She was looking away however, already moving towards the keyboard. "No, I've got this."

Her dismissal angered him, and he wanted to drag her away and tell her to listen. She was under his command, not the other way around. _He_ decided what they would do. _He_ decided how she would act. Faintly he realized his hands were shaking, but with anger or nerves, he did not know.

"Woman," he told her, his voice dangerously low, but she seemed to not have heard him.

"I think it's…oh, here it is!" she exclaimed, watching the screen closely. "I'm retrieving it now."

Ulquiorra loosened his grip but did not leave her side, instead allowing his attention to fall away as he checked his other cameras. The halls near them were still clear, but the battle between Grimmjow and Ichigo had become very heated. There was blood caked on both of them, and a short girl lay bleeding on the ground. Ulquiorra recognized the girl as being one from Soul Systems, Rukia Kuchiki. She seemed to be alive, but in great pain.

"Done!" Orihime declared, stepping back, and he quickly grabbed her away from the access point. She looked up, wide eyed at his rough behavior, but he said nothing as he clicked a button on the bracelet to conceal her once more.

"We're leaving." Quickly they left, entering the hall and not stopping to be careful with their footsteps. Ulquiorra needed to get as far away as possible. Taking out his phone, he called Starrk, speaking one curt command. "Pick us up."

"Ulquiorra," she said weakly, her hand twisting in his tight grasp, but he did not stop.

He set off through the doors, causing a man to look around confused when it opened on its own. They kept up the quick pace as they crossed the street towards Starrks vehicle.

Swinging the door open caused the driver to jump, since he had been unable to see them. When Ulquiorra shoved Orihime in, he revealed himself as he left the area of projection.

"Take her back," he commanded, and Orihime revealed herself as well when she tore off the bracelet.

"I sent the retreat message," Starrk said hurriedly, his head looking back at them from the driver's seat. "You might want to check on Grimmjow."

"What are you-" Orihime began, confused, but he had closed the door, cutting off her query and watched from the curb as the car sped away. Next, he called Nnoitra, making sure he had complied with the retreat message. Surprisingly, he did not argue and instead said he would find his way back.

Then he set off, recognizing the surroundings his eye showed him. He was still furious at the entire situation, and he almost felt excited to be taking his anger out on someone else, namely Grimmjow. He flickered out of existence, reappearing much further down the street only to disappear again. Moving so fast was difficult in the crowded streets, but he was agile enough to avoid hitting anyone. Such movements took great concentration, but were worth it when he arrived soon after near a large crowd of people fleeing the area surrounding an alley between two buildings. Windows broke on a building nearby, and looking towards the source of the damage revealed a blue-haired streak.

There were sirens blaring faintly in the distance, signaling the involvement of the police. He stepped towards the fighters, the only figure moving in that direction as several people ran in the opposite. There were three now. Grimmjow seemed to have attracted someone else. A blonde, lanky man stood opposite him with Ichigo. The girl from Soul Systems lay nearby, clutching a wound in her stomach but otherwise conscious.

Ulquiorra moved again, appearing right behind Grimmjow, who recognized his signature and turned to him with wide eyes.

"You know it is time to retreat. Do not be difficult."

"Fuck off! I'm staying, I don't give a-"

"You!" Ichigo had noticed Ulquiorra's arrival and immediately remembered him. "You took Inoue didn't you, you bastard!"

The sirens were coming nearer, the noise pounding in his head along with the anger that was boiling up. His attention remained on Grimmjow, and in a movement the other man couldn't see, he clutched his arm tightly in his grasp.

"If you wish to stay," he began steadily, staring into Grimmjows eyes with a look that was nothing less than livid. "I will take this arm back. It is owed to that woman." He tightened his grip as Grimmjow tried to wrench his arm away, not allowing him to move.

"Ichigo!" the call from the blonde man was what warned him of the young mans movements. He was now rushing forward, his black sword in hand.

"Let Inoue go!"

"Decide," he told Grimmjow, who had not moved, but now watched Ichigo running towards them furiously.

Both knew Grimmjow would be left severely outnumbered and damaged in a way that would insure his defeat.

"Shit, fine!" he conceded, and they moved apart, each delivering a cero towards Ichigo. The red head rushed through it, unheeded, and Ulquiorra noticed there was something different about him. The whites of his eyes had darkened. There were white pieces of what seemed to be bone-like material clinging to his face.

Ulquiorra's instincts kicked in recognizing what was happening. He dug his feet into the concrete and sprang up, flipping in the air to appear behind Ichigo while facing the blonde man who was now coming near. With his elbows, he sent a heavy blow towards Ichigo's back and he crashed to the ground. A black blur of a batcam flew in front of the approaching man, distracting him, and Ulquiorra moved further away from the two. Grimmjow was nearby, looking back before reluctantly getting on his bike.

There were police cars coming to a screeching halt on the nearby street, and Grimmjow, seeing them, revved his engine.

"I won't let you get away!" Ichigo was back up, but a dark cloud was collecting around his sword. He was going to shoot it at them. Everything he had. Ulquiorra stood on the opposite side of the street now, looking between where Ichigo stood and the approaching police officers. He pointed a finger, readying a cero.

A moment later, the street was filled with something new. A wave of water now approached, seemingly out of no where, sweeping away all the cars and people in its wake. Fire hydrants exploded, sending streaming water into the air. Ichigo had been forced to stop as water rushed towards him, throwing him off balance as it rushed around his ankles. By the time he looked up, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were gone.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Starrk had taken them back to the front of HM Global. Once inside, she had moved the file onto his offered flash drive, and then the two waited for the others to return.

"He seemed mad…" she said anxiously as they waited.

Starrk was eying the small flash drive in his hand. "I don't think I've ever seen Ulquiorra mad." He frowned and looked up. "Or much of anything, I guess."

She wrung her hands worriedly, not feeling any better from Starrk's answer. "He was definitely mad."

He could only offer a shrug. "I'd be mad too if I had to deal with this troublesome mission." The plastic rolled between his fingers. "Whatever this file is about, it was really important."

"I've never heard of it," she admitted, confused. " Hogyoku'. Urahara-san never mentioned anything like that."

Starrk sighed and straightened himself. "I guess I'd better get it to him. He doesn't like to wait." When Orihime didn't move, instead looking steadily down the drive, he said, "You'll have to at least wait in the lobby."

"O-oh, ok." She followed him, taking one of the white plush chairs near the door. For a moment Starrk hesitated, but then seeing how easily she waited, he realized she was someone that was highly trustworthy.

_She's here because of her friends_. He thought to himself. _But…she is also worrying about Ulquiorra_. He snorted through his nose humorously. Did Ulquiorra realize how important he had become to her? Starrk truly doubted it.

Not long after Starrk left, Grimmjow arrived. He looked quite a bit more disheveled than he had been when he left. His clothes were torn in a few places, but otherwise only a few minor cuts and bruises.

As she watched him cross the large room, he stopped and sneered angrily in her direction. "What're you looking at?" When she didn't answer he stalked off.

Nnoitra and Tesra came in next, both looking fairly grim. They too seemed mostly unharmed, but then her attention moved to the figure entering after them. It was Ulquiorra.

She had to fight back the urge to call his name, not wanting to sound too worried over him when he looked completely fine. At first he didn't look at her, instead directing his attention straight ahead. But when she stood, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Come."

She bit her lip, feeling guilty somehow, but nodded and hurried after him. They were headed to the elevators where Grimmjow and Nnoitra were talking.

"…and after that, I knew that mop-haired kid wouldn't be getting back up again. Pretty much a waste."

Her head shot up to see Nnoitra looking annoyed as he got on an elevator.

"That's one less we have to worry about, I guess."

The doors slid shut smoothly, but she stood there, frozen in her spot. "What did he just say?" she demanded to know.

He stared at her, as if she had grown another head. "I am not interested in whatever Nnoitra was talking about," he told her flatly. "Do you not realize how dangerous that situation was? You had no reason to believe you were safe and no way of knowing what would happen."

She didn't appear to have heard him, instead watching the now closed elevator doors. "What was that…about…?" She couldn't say his name, hot tears were already forming in her eyes.

"Did you hear me, woman?" he responded, moving to stand in her eyesight so she had to look at him.

"H-he has to be alright…" she said, looking into his face with despair so great it made him falter briefly. "S-Sado-kun can't be…can't be…"

"What does it matter?" he pressed, his anger controlling his words. She was not listening, not seeing the problem. She had been so close to ceasing to exist altogether, and all she could focus on now were a few words. Ulquiorra knew, in the back of his mind, he should expect such a reaction from her. Had he not gone to great lengths to try and prevent it? But now he didn't care about that. He did not care about people he did not know. It was that woman who had stood behind a thin barrier and might have not ever returned from it.

"If he had been smart he would have fled rather than challenge an Espada. If he had done that, he might still be alive."

"No!" she cried in desperation, her hands flying to her face. "Sado-kun's not dead!"

"If he is dead or alive…it should mean nothing to you," he told her, coldly, his eyes dark.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers trembling against her face. "N-no…"

"All of your friends will die anyways." He could not stop the chilling words coming out of his mouth. He threw them at her, unrelenting, wanting her to feel his anger. "It is only a matter of time."

"Stop!" she gasped, looking up at him again, her hands clamped against her ears as tears streamed down her face. In her eyes she held insurmountable betrayal directly solely at him. Her expression made his teal tear streaks burn, but he would not stop.

"Honestly," he said, directly in front of her hunched form. "If I were you, I'd be furious at their stupidity."

Her wail of anguish had distracted him to the point where he had missed her movement. There was a hand slamming against his cheek by the time he realized, and his face was wrenched away from her. And just like that, the anger was gone and he was left with a sudden, profound emptiness.

She had turned away from him, clutching her hand, her shoulders shaking. She could not bear to look at him any longer.

He shifted his head to look at her, his cheek burning from the impact. No words came to him now; his body felt like a shell that he had ceased to inhabit.

"What is going on here?" He looked over to find Harribel approaching, a stern look on her face when she noticed Orihime crying.

He stepped away, removing himself from the situation and summoned his usual cloak of disinterest. "I'm sure you can ask her."

The tall woman approached, gently placing her hand upon Orihime's back to get her attention.

"H-Harribel-san?" she stuttered, her voice shaky from emotion.

"Come with me, you may stay in my section." She clicked the down arrow and an elevator immediately opened for her.

Orihime nodded faintly, her back still turned. Ulquiorra made no move to stop them, turning himself away to the opposite bank of elevators. He heard them walk on as his elevator opened invitingly, and he stood stiffly, tensely, waiting for something he did not understand.

But the door at his back closed without another sound, taking its occupants away. As he stepped into his elevator alone, his body feeling as heavy as lead, reality finally sank over him crushingly.

She was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well, I might have a lot of upset readers, but yes, this is the 'big change' I hinted at. Sorry for the short chapter with minimal UlquiHime, but it was sorta meant to be transitional/actiony. Next chapter will be a bit longer, and it will cover how everyone is handling the new arrangements.

Beta'd by a chu singing the star trek rap.

**wielbiciel:** Yeah, I don't like it if Orihime is written overly…air-headed. She is the second smartest girl in her class. She just has a big imagination sometimes. Otherwise she can be very perceptive of others and their feelings. Ulquiorra has that keen ability to notice her strengths, though, which is a big positive. He saw her defiance as being strong especially. And yes, he does obviously care for her now, to the point where the thought of losing her is extremely painful for him (as shown in this chapter). Thanks for reading!

**nypsy:** Hehe, I can't help but throw in cliffies… Yes, Ulquiorra was being extremely careful for her sake, wasn't he? Going through all the possibilities to ensure not only she is kept in tact, but that she doesn't suffer emotional loss as well. It's like he is striving to keep her as she is because that is the Orihime he enjoys seeing. I love the Espada acting like a team. I feel there is a lot that can be explored about their relationships with one another. About Tesra's paleness: it was mostly due to his own inner struggle between doing what Nnoitra desires (he is extremely dutiful to him) and not hurting Orihime (since she saved him). Not to mention Ulquiorra is breathing down his neck over doing the right thing…so yeah, that's why he was nervous.

As far as Orihime is concerned, I didn't have her try to escape because she is still acting on the assurance that her friends are being protected from directly being targeted for death due to her working for Aizen. As long as she believes she is helping them, she would not move to save herself. Thanks for reviewing!

**RAHbooks:** I tried to think of what types of vehicles the Espada would drive. I knew I wanted Starrk to drive something with the wolves silhouette, but I needed a large vehicle for the operation so I chose an SUV. Grimmjow, as usual, does things his own way. He sort of seems like a biker sort of guy; rebel, works with a gang of similar rebels, etc, so I chose a motorcycle. Just a little tidbit: I will also reveal what Ulquiorra's car looks like. :) Thanks for reviewing!

**Rialaea:** Thank you! I think a lot of aspects of canon are just too perfect to change, but I wanted a different setting. I'm glad you think I do the characterization well! It's definitely one of the more important points I strive for in my writing. And I agree, their dynamic is so powerful, isn't it? Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Pardon the Insanity:** Haha, well, no, ok, you got me. I wasn't that sorry about the cliffie ;)

Yeah, Ulquiorra is still thinking and thinking and thinking…and all the while he is starting to feel too, because his feelings are making him…think some more. That line you pulled out, I'm glad you liked it. It's an extremely important point that was pulled from UNMASKED: that Ulquiorra's idea of the void as 'happiness' has to change in order for him to be able to satisfy himself in what he wants from Orihime. Orihime and void do no exist together. It's important that he reached that moment of realization, because at that he knows he is dangling on the edge of something huge. He just has to make that one final step…

I know what you mean about skimming through the non-pairing related scenes (I do that too…heh). I don't want to assume everyone reads them, but I try to draw some sort of tie into the pairing and/or bond development that people want to see. Thanks also for the POV switching comment! I'm glad I'm doing alright transitions, since I tend to do them a lot.

The bracelet scene, hah, I tried to think of how Orihime would act upon receiving such an item. I think it's safe to say she'd immediately misunderstand, which helped provide a little light-heartedness in the midst of all these serious activities.

Thanks for being patient! :)

Ok, now everyone go review. We'll do this whole dance again next chapter, hehe.

-Miss Soupy


	13. Chapter 13

**Ch. 13**

Over the next couple of days, she could not be consoled. She knew she was being quite useless, but no one mentioned it. Perhaps her use had ended with the retrieval of the file Aizen desired, but she received no new missions or tasks. She did not know the reason nor did she care. From her grief had blossomed an intense anger towards the head of HM Global, yet she knew not what to do about it. And so her cycle of grief and anger would impotently continue. Even in her mourning, the world beyond persisted. The war had moved forward quickly, and now HM Global was forced to protect itself from attacks as well. The efforts against it met with failure, as far as she heard, for most did not realize that the true danger lay underground the white tower. Everything above was merely an illusion to keep the actual threat hidden.

With war, though, came new pain and destruction, and she could not hide from it forever. Harribel always asked her but never made her. She would come to her and say someone had been injured and give her the choice of whether or not to heal them. At first, when the grief and betrayal had hurt the most, she had wanted to refuse. She had tried to ignore it, pretend she didn't hear, but the knowledge that someone out there was in pain and she had the ability to assuage was too much for her. It was not her job to judge souls; she would never want that power. In the end, everyone had a job to do. Both sides had their reasons for what they were doing. Soul Systems was the image of an open company, one that had made many advances in the medical and technology fields. Yet Orihime knew they only revealed to the public what they wished to reveal. They held themselves to a higher standard than other people. In the end, how different were they?

She did not know these answers, so she did what she could do. And always, she would go and heal whoever needed it. Most were people she did not know, but there was always apprehension when she reached the doors that would reveal whoever might be close to death.

What if it was him?

Maybe that was part of the reason she went.

However mad she had been at Ulquiorra, however betrayed and heart broken, she could not bring herself to hate him. In fact, she thought about him a lot because it was so abnormal for her to be in the building without him somewhere near. She had never felt afraid with him around. Really, she had not considered being worried about her own safety while in HM Global, because of how much she trusted him.

Living in the 3rd section, however, had changed that not long after she moved in.

Most of the girls she met were decent. There were the three favorites: Appacci, Mila Rose, and Sung-Sun. They were a fairly rambunctious group, but she enjoyed them because they seemed like a family. She actually found herself laughing while in their presence; their bickering reminded her of the way Ichigo and Ishida fought; deep down, they really respected each other.

Whenever the girls were all away and Harribel too had left, Orihime was faced with a situation she could not stand against. The first time they had come, it had, supposedly, been to bring her dinner. She had been in her room alone; somehow, she had felt her sorrow return and so she had retreated. The door had been opened without warning, and two voices had called to her in a sickly sweet sound.

"Princess Orihimeee…"

When they entered, she recognized them immediately. It was the twins, Loly and Menoly, the girls she had healed. Orihime had motioned to speak, but her words fell when she saw the expressions on their faces. Their looks were dangerous, and she found herself backing away. She was grabbed by the collar, and brought close to their faces.

"We were supposed to bring you dinner, but it looks like we forgot," Loly informed her with a wicked laugh. "If you tell anyone, we'll kill your friends, ok?"

She then pushed her so hard that her breath was knocked out of her completely when she collided with the wall. A hand was at her throat a moment later, cutting off her air.

"We're going to have fun," the pig-tailed girl said, grinning. "Don't they know better than to leave a princess all alone?"

Loly grabbed her collar again, and Orihime was pulled forward to land against the floor, causing her to gasp in air before wincing at the pain. They left her then, slamming the door shut, and for awhile, she couldn't move. Her body felt sore, but she was so afraid that she dare not heal herself. Tears fell quietly from her eyes, but she said nothing. Eventually, she was able to pull her shaking body off the ground and stumble into her bed. But sleep would not come and became illusive from that night onward. She did not know what lay waiting for her to fall asleep, to let her guard down, so that they could strike.

If Harribel asked her if something was wrong, she lied and said nothing. Orihime could not chance that the girls followed through with their threats.

She was alone. Ulquiorra's words from their first days together came back to her then - alone, even though you are surrounded by people. She could only hope she was strong enough to continue on.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

He only poured one cup of tea now. Only put out one plate and one set of silverware. Quiet was everywhere, and somehow, it seemed to not belong.

No - it was normal, or at least he tried to tell himself. Her cohabitation defined when things were abnormal, different. Ulquiorra took a sip, his eyes scanning his living area where everything was once again neatly in place. There were no random objects pulled out and left carelessly. The couch pillows were not moved haphazardly around. It was like she had never been there.

The glass clinked as he brought it down to the table a bit too quickly.

No. Her influence, no matter how hard he desired, could not be forgotten. He felt uncomfortable in his own home due to the endless thoughts and memories plaguing him. What was she doing? Did she behave the same way with Harribel? Was she eating properly?

Most importantly, did she hate him?

He told himself he did not care, willed himself not to, but he always fell back to this one thought. Those wide brown eyes filled with betrayal like she had never known were burned into his memory. Now he felt strange pain and tightness in his chest when he thought of her, thought of how she must have felt. He could at least imagine the emotions that would find her when he showed such obvious disapproval of her grief. Perhaps he deserved such things. He deserved the plaguing thoughts, the physical pains, his inability to focus on much of anything. Yes, most certainly he deserved it.

His eyecam sat beside him on the table, staring unblinkingly at him. The dark wispy wings drooped lazily. It too seemed different, less energetic. Ulquiorra shook his head. Such thoughts were nonsensical. Of course it could not act any different, he was simply imagining things.

It was not as if he had lost all contact with her. Not really. Aizen had made it clear that he was still to make sure she was, in his words, kept alive and well for the time being. Ulquiorra had accepted these orders easily. He felt fortunate Aizen had agreed with his excuse for why Orihime would not be staying with him any longer. Specifically, his inability to console her emotionally when she needed it.

"She will be more comfortable," he lied easily, even if part of him thought it was not truly a lie. "I have no tolerance for such inability to control one's emotions. For her own mental health, I suppose she will need comfort of some sort, but that is something I can not provide."

Aizen had not even blinked at the excuse, and Ulquiorra felt a tinge of remorse at how true his words seemed. But with Aizen he had to be careful. He had not forgotten what the man had kept hidden from him; when he stood before him then, he had felt alien in his own skin. His body didn't belong to him, not as long as Aizen had the control he did.

Thus, in the moment when he could focus his mind on something else, he thought of ways to take himself back from his leader. This, he found, was not something he could accomplish on his own, much to his chagrin. Reluctantly, he found himself seeking the only person he thought capable of investigating his problem.

"Do you have the ability to look into this?"

Szayel smiled in a manner that could hardly be trusted. "I'm flattered you would come to me with your problem, Cifer-san."

Ulquiorra stayed silent, waiting for his answer. It was the last thing he wished to do, putting trust in a man like Szayel. But the other choice, doing nothing and staying within Aizen's control, was even less desirable. He at least had a fairly good understanding of Szayel's interests and what things could possibly persuade him.

"I believe I should be able to single out the signals that are interfering, perhaps get a look at the code if we are lucky. But…" A pink brow was lifted delicately. "This is something quite personal. It is very strange that you would permit someone to look into this technology…"

Ulquiorra blinked. Was Szayel suspicious of him? Usually he would jump at the chance to view something normally kept secret from him. There was no doubt an underlying anger towards Aizen over the technology to which he was not privy. The RCR program happened to be one of those things.

"I have little choice," Ulquiorra told him, his face blank. "And besides, I should be able to go to a fellow Espada." He looked into Szayel's eyes seriously for emphasis. "Especially when I have put my own status on the line for them in return. It is a luxury to be able to speak with one another freely in this company. It is also a luxury to look into files that one should not without certain people being alerted of it." Szayel's eyes widened at this. "Of course I knew you were sneaking files. But I felt Aizen-sama did not need to know."

Szayel shot him a glare, and Ulquiorra shrugged. Yes, Szayel could be persuaded if need be. In the end, the Espada who were not entirely happy with their situation would have to look after one another.

Finally, he sighed dramatically and consented. "Fine. I suppose you have provided us security, and for that I am grateful. I will do what I can."

"Good."

"You can come back tomorrow. I will have things ready for you by then."

He nodded and left. Ulquiorra could only hope that Szayel would indeed be able to find a way to override Aizen's commands. If not, he feared he would be trapped under Aizen with little hope for escape. Trapped in the loneliness that had folded in on him due to his own selfishness. All in all, he thought the woman had made out better. For her to be away from him and his despair was truly a godsend.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Orihime let out a jaw-cracking yawn, causing Starrk and Lilynette to stare at her blankly.

"That's like, the one-hundredth time you have yawned today," Lilynette complained, leaning against the short table she and Orihime sat around. Starrk laid behind her on the couch, his long body stretched out lazily.

Orihime sat back on her heels, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry! I'll try not to…"

"Is that old lady working you too hard?" the small girl asked, her brow raised suspiciously.

"Eh? Old lady?"

Lilynette nodded, looking down at the cards in her hands. "Yeah. Harribel."

"No!" Orihime cried, leaning forward. "Harribel-san is not old…"

"She's about as old as Starrk, and he's _ancient_!"

"Hey…you brat…" Starrk mumbled from the couch, his face contorting into an annoyed expression.

"Got any eights?"

Orihime passed over a card, and Lilynette placed it in her hand. "Harribel-san is very kind. No, I'm just not sleeping well. That's all."

The siblings looked at her doubtfully, and Orihime shrugged. She was not going to tell them about the twins and their new game of harassing her.

"Starrk-kun," she began in an attempt to change the subject. "How have your missions been? I've heard there is a lot more to do. Harribel-san is gone a lot more frequently now."

The man grunted in affirmation, his hands behind his head. "Yeah, Aizen really has us running around now. But, I still get the feeling he is waiting for something. Most of what we do is still covert operations. I figure that when we are no longer hiding our actions, things will have really gotten serious."

Orihime nodded and asked Lilynette if she had any twos.

"Go fish."

Orihime picked a card from the pile. "Does… does he talk about Karakura anymore?"

Starrk looked at her hesitantly for a moment but then shook his head. "No, we are focused on Soul Systems now."

She nodded quietly and said, "Go fish," after Lilynette requested a jack. Ulquiorra had been telling the truth about Aizen and his shift in focus. Even if that outcome had cost dearly, her efforts had not been in vain. For that, at least, she could be a little grateful.

"Oh Starrk, I forgot to tell you I repaired the gun you damaged. I can't believe you allowed it to get so trashed," Lilynette told him, looking over her shoulder at her brother disapprovingly.

"Oi! That's why I keep you around, so don't complain. At least you have something to do."

"You jerk!" Lilynette screeched, sending a foot into Starrks face.

"Oomf!"

"Brat!"

Giggling quietly over their antics, she looked down at her hand and called, "Lilynette-chan, do you have any fours?"

"Go fish!" the girl called as she swung from her brothers shaggy hair.

Orihime smiled and pulled a card from the pile.

"Oh, I got my wish!" She placed her completed pile down on the table proudly while Starrk and Lilynette continued to torture one another.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"Does it hurt much?" Szayel asked idly, making sure the numerous wires that were now attached to Ulquiorra's chest were secured.

He sat on what seemed to be an operating table. The wires were connected to some sort of machine that he supposed was a strange looking computer. Oddly enough, they all originated from his '4' tattoo.

"These are more than just tattoos," Szayel explained as he attached yet another wire. "Aizen made them specifically for this sort of access. Of course he didn't really mention this."

Green eyes watched carefully as Szayel moved back to his machinery, turning a dial here, typing in some instructions there.

"This machine will isolate the signals between the nanobots within your body."

Szayel flipped a switch, and Ulquiorra felt a strange pulse against his tattoo. It was uncomfortable, but tolerable. The pink haired man watched the screen closely, clicking the keyboard once in awhile. Numbers ran across the screen, indicating to Ulquiorra that it was at least receiving something. Whether the data was garbage or not, he did not know.

"You are lucky. It seems there is a signal running non-stop in the background." Szayel looked at him with an odd smile. "I was thinking we might need to force it with self-injury."

Ulquiorra scowled, and Szayel went back to the screen. "Yes, this is quite complicated code. But I…" he frowned at the monitor, typing furiously. Ulquiorra could make out that he was trying to get control of the program. "It's locked. Of course it would be." He sighed and looked back to Ulquiorra with a shrug. "I cannot undo the signal without a passcode."

"It is something Aizen-sama created?" Ulquiorra asked, thinking quickly.

The scientist nodded, his hands sinking into the pockets of his lab coat. "Unless we can figure it out, we can't change the signal."

Ulquiorra sat silently a moment, mulling it over. Aizen would have chosen something that related to him but as to exactly what, he was not sure. Aizen was so sure of himself that he would make it somehow obvious yet simultaneously not. His brows furrowed; this recent development could be beneficial. Szayel would not have Ulquiorra's personal information, and in the mean time, he could figure out what to do. Surely there was something he could do…

"Can you add code that is activated after the passcode is given?" he asked suddenly, looking over at the other man.

Szayel frowned, thinking. "You mean, under the condition someone gives out the passcode? Yes, a hidden instruction?"

Ulquiorra nodded slowly, and Szayel turned back to the screen. "Yes… while I can't change what is written… if someone gave the password…" his hands flew across the keyboard, and he nodded again, satisfied. "I can do it."

"Good. Then listen carefully. I want you to put in a primary layer that will activate once the password is entered. Aizen will not have expected us to figure any of this out, so he will not have prepared for it. When the correct password is given to this system, I want a new password to be activated. The system will therefore be locked yet again, but this time from the original creator. Also, once the new passcode is given, the signal that is interfering needs to stop, allowing myself full control."

Szayel typed as he listened, doing as Ulquiorra asked. "And what should the new passcode be?"

Ulquiorra thought a moment, his eyes closed. He needed something Aizen would not expect. Suddenly, he thought of her, specifically the moment when she had stood by him at the window, her closeness, her smile, the gentle fall of her hair. He felt a sensation in his chest that had nothing to do with the wires connected to him. It was a warm feeling, one that he would not call discomfort.

His eyes opened, and he provided Szayel a word.

If the other man was surprised, he didn't show it, instead doing what he was told. "Done."

Ulquiorra looked across the room into nothing. It was something Aizen would never guess. Because who would ever have guessed that such a word might be the difference between life and death for a person like Ulquiorra?

"I feel I should warn you…" Szayel began, looking at him steadily. "If Aizen has this ability to so acutely control what your body heals and what it doesn't… then he can effectively control the moment when you fall apart entirely."

Ulquiorra reached towards his chest to tug away some of the wires. "Why else do you think I came here?"

The pink haired man offered him a lopsided grin. "Very true. Then, I would say you shouldn't get on Aizen's bad side."

Ulquiorra didn't reply. He had no desire to make a sudden move against him, but he did not feel the need to be completely obedient either.

"I suppose this puts things into perspective, at least. If you, someone who has little motivation to be dishonest with Aizen, are controlled in such a way…what does that say for the rest of us?"

He looked away, knowing the truth of the statement. It was certainly possible they were all one word away from death. The only comfort they held now would be this knowledge, something Aizen never suspected they would hold.

Ulquiorra left feeling just as lost as when he arrived. What Szayel said was true; if he wanted to survive, he needed to avoid giving Aizen a reason to completely seal his healing ability. Yet, in order to take back control, he needed Aizen to reveal the passcode that would reset things in his favor.

For now, he had done the most he could do. He wondered if Aizen had this sort of information hidden somewhere. Could he find it if he searched? It was also possible that he had not made any record of it.

Rather than taking the elevator directly to his villa, he decided to walk in order to get his thoughts together. It was not, he told himself, to somehow get a glance of the girl who had left him days ago. The chances of seeing her were slim, especially since he would not need to pass through the 3rd section. Various employees passed through the halls around him, nodding politely in greeting when they saw him. He paid them no mind instead trying to decide the best path to take. Nothing seemed desirable. Things simply could go from bad to worse for him.

The halls had cleared when he heard a faint tapping of heels coming down an adjacent hall. He looked up briefly, catching blonde hair before looking back down the hall, disinterested. But when the image registered in his mind, he looked back quickly, piercing the figure with sharp regard.

"Ah, hello Cifer-san," Tesra forced out, unable to ignore the stare he was receiving. He carried a stack of papers and looked quite annoyed with whatever he was doing.

Ulquiorra had stopped walking. It would not be abnormal to do something to the subordinate of the one with whom he was annoyed. To send a message. But he made no move against him, instead watching him carefully, trying to decide what he wished to say.

"…W-where is Orihime-san?" Tesra asked, unable to take the tense silence. He glanced quickly around the hall, perhaps even hoping someone else might happen upon them.

"Do you really have to ask?" he shot back in return, his temper suddenly short. "I warned what would happen if she lost one of her comrades."

Tesra's brows furrowed, and for a moment held a confused expression. But then his face melted into surprise, his eyes widening as he must have realized something. "No! That's not right…" he stumbled over his words, the papers in his hands shifted dangerously. "That wasn't true… Nnoitra-sama sometimes… overly boasts about things… but… that's not what happened!"

Ulquiorra stiffened, not daring to move. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't kill that human…he was considering it, but I talked him out of it." He glanced away reflexively as he admitted, "Nnoitra-sama is very…vain… about his opponent's strength. If he feels they are not at a certain level, he will say they are not even worth killing. I…persuaded him in that manner."

"What are you saying?" he asked carefully, wanting to be perfectly clear. "That Sado Yatsura is alive?"

Tesra nodded. "He was alive when we left. Unable to continue fighting, but alive."

"She needs to know," he said suddenly, uncaring if it was unusual for him to say. "You must tell her."

It did not matter what she thought of him. He knew with sudden certainty that the look she had given him out of grief had been far worse than the look she had given from betrayal.

Tesra opened his mouth to argue but quickly closed it after seeing his expression. "Yeah…alright…" He hurried on as if afraid of what else Ulquiorra might ask him to do.

This information would give her new hope. Suddenly he regretted not being able to see her reaction to it, but it was surely better this way. She could regain her confidence, her spark and determination, yet not have to be burdened with his actions. If he really wanted to keep her happy, the best action was to protect her from himself. She could continue being the strong woman he knew her to be.

Ulquiorra continued on alone silently. She would be alright now. This lone thought would have serve as his company from now on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know many of you were probably hoping/wishing/praying that they would meet again in this chapter. They aren't ready yet at this point..and I wanted them to have a moment of reflection about what life is like withouth the other around. Next chapter Tesra and Grimmjow will have roles to play. Especially Grimmjow, actually. And Ulquiorra discovers something that belongs to Orihime.

Beta'd by a fluffy dog loving chu XD

**Ulquihime7980**: Yes, it really is his fault… I guess the question is, can he make it better? Thanks for reading!

**Nypsy**: Haha, I agree. Harribel and Starrk are two of the most level-headed Espada. I love how Harribel is like the mother-hen to her fraccion! I think she would be understanding of Orihime's position. Starrk though, is fairly lazy, unless Lilynette forces him not to be.

Yeah, Ulquiorra really messed up, didn't he? He finally starts having these emotions, and then they become unwound so easily when things got too serious. He is just too new to them. Anyways, thank you for reading and reviewing!

**LovelyMasoka**: Thank you very much! I love the batcam too, I have to admit. I'd love it if Ulquiorra really had an ability like this, given his eyeball can be removed and regenerated XDD

Thanks for your review **:)  
><strong>

**Pardon the Insanity**: Yes…the change. Well, as was shown with this chapter, it still is in effect. But, I don't intend to keep people waiting too long. Er, I guess that doesn't really say much, does it? Haha.

I really wanted to provide a strong Orihime last chapter, because it's so easy to write Ulquiorra as strong and composed a majority of the time. Orihime shines when you least expect it sometimes, like here when she was in danger and yet had little worry for herself. Ulquiorra was definitely not prepared for that, even though he probably should have been. The minute Ulquiorra became so intense, I also imagined she knew something was wrong with him. She might not be completely capable of understanding why he was that way, but she at least knew he was. And I think Starrk is most likely to notice these subtle changes in bonds, since he is someone who revolves around Loneliness, or lack-thereof. He would be most suitable for noticing a change in dynamic between Orihime and Ulquiorra, haha.

I couldn't resist writing the slap scene. It was such a pivotal point in the whole UlquiHime dynamic. It's not used the exact same here, but I still felt it held enough meaning to write it in. I love Orihime standing up to him like that, and I love the possibility of Ulquiorra wanting to understand her pain. But for now, he has figure himself out, I think. Thank you for reading!

**RAHbooks**: Oh yes, the wonderful slap scene! It was something like the birth of the UlquiHime as a real pairing, hehe. I'm glad you liked the change. Sometimes it takes the distance to realize a few important things, doesn't it? Thanks for reading!

Alright, another chapter down, another soon to come. Review please!

-Miss Soupy


	14. Chapter 14

**Ch 14**

She looked greedily at the assortment of donuts laid out on the table.

"Chocolate…vanilla…cream filled…cinnamon…" she named, trying to decide what she wanted to try. Others behind her in line gave her annoyed expressions, but she didn't seem to notice.

"I choose…sprinkles!" she announced, placing a donut on her plate and striding off happily. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she decided to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Even though she was extremely tired, somehow something as simple as a donut had brightened her spirits considerably.

She moved away from the breakfast buffet but looked around when she heard someone call her name.

"Orihime-san…"

She froze. Tesra was coming her way. She had not seen him since the day by the elevators. For a moment she wanted to turn around and go the other way. She wished she had taken the time to consider what she would do or say when she saw him again. He might not have considered anything about her, but she had honestly thought him a comrade.

Now she had no time to decide; he was all too near. She looked to the floor. "Hi…"

"Orihime-san," he repeated while standing in front of her. "I'm sorry, I should have realized earlier…"

She stared down at her donut as if it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. Inwardly, she felt her heart jumping to her throat, and she willed herself not to cry. Not even a sprinkled donut could distract her sudden surge of emotions.

"What you heard about your friend was not true. Nnoitra-sama did not kill him."

At those words, her head snapped up so fast she thought she heard a crack. "W-what?"

He nodded reassuringly. "Your friend was not killed. I couldn't allow it…after what you did for me. That is the truth."

Immediately her eyes misted over and she felt light headed. Was it possible?

"H-how do you know? I…you mean it?"

"Yes. I…I'm sorry you have been through such grief." And he truly did look sorry. The tears fell down her cheeks, one by one, but this time she was smiling.

"Oh!" she cried, and without thinking, she had wrapped her free arm around him in a grateful embrace. "Thank you, Tesra-kun! Thank you!"

At first he didn't move, but then patted her back awkwardly until she finally let go. He looked thoroughly embarrassed, but his lips were quirked in a slight smile. "I need to get going… but I'm glad you are alright." He touched her cheek lightly, and said, "Take care, Orihime-san."

She beamed at him in reply, and he left her. An extreme heaviness was gone, lifted away, and she took a huge bite from her donut, unable to stop smiling.

_Sado-kun is ok! He's alright!_

She kept repeating the thought in her head, not wanting to let go of the happy moment. Even if she was stuck, hidden away forever, she thought she could go on with just that knowledge. Her donut had been completely devoured by the time she left the cafeteria. She passed through the halls without paying attention to her surroundings, for her thoughts ran wildly. Because of this, she did not notice the other occupants of the hall until she felt arms grab her from behind.

She gasped, but a hand clamped against her mouth, and she was dragged into an empty conference room nearby. The door shut loudly behind her, but she didn't have to look up to know who had grabbed her.

"Good to see you, Hime-chan," Loly told her, but Orihime refused to look up at her.

"I don't think she heard you," Menoly said, clicking her tongue, and a moment later Orihime found her cheek being forced against the cold surface of the table. Weight was pressed relentlessly against her back, crushing her head against the hard surface. She whimpered faintly, but squeezed her eyes shut.

One of them grabbed her arm and held it behind her back, bending it at a painful angle. "Ah!" she cried in pain, but the pressure only continued to mount as it was pushed tighter and tighter against her back.

"What is it?" one of them hissed. "Does this hurt?"

Orihime kept her mouth shut, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of her agreeing. They pressed harder, and she thought her arm was about to break when there seemed to be a sudden explosion at the door and a second later the pressure was gone.

"What the fuck is going on?" a rough voice demanded, and there was a scraping sound of skin on wood and a sudden thump, as if something was thrown.

Orihime looked up in time to see Loly crushed against the wall nearby by a strong arm.

"Grimmjow!" Loly grimaced, having trouble breathing against his crushing hold on her neck. He picked her up and threw her across the table where she fell and landed on top of her sister.

"S-stop!" Orihime cried, getting his attention. He met her frantic brown eyes with wild pale blue. When he made no further movements, she rushed to the other side of the table, a hand at her tech.

"What the hell are you doing?" Grimmjow barked, but she had already begun healing them.

When she finished, she shakily stood, feeling her jaw. It was painful, but didn't seem to be broken. Her arm too she flexed, wincing at first when she stretched it. Grimmjow watched her with a critical eye.

"I...want to get out of here…" she didn't look at him, but felt him move to let her through before following her out into the hall.

It was then that she looked up at him. "Thank you…but…you didn't have to do that…"

He snorted. "You weren't doing anything to protect yourself. Those bitches deserved it anyways."

"They…they said they might hurt my friends, but I don't think they could," she admitted, looking towards the door. "I didn't want to give them a reason to try."

"I could have killed them," he told her, as if it were nothing.

Orihime shook her head. "I…I don't want that. Not for my sake. They just don't know what they are doing."

"Why'd you heal them then?" he asked, obviously confused.

She shrugged. "I…don't like seeing anyone hurt."

"I think your tech is dangerous," he told her suddenly, and she blinked, surprised. "I have been saying it since you came here. I wanted to kill you from the start."

Orihime raised her gaze upwards, her expression somber as she looked at the man.

"But Ulquiorra, he always defended you. Said you were not an enemy. Eventually the others agreed with him, but I always felt he was wrong. Even so, I knew I couldn't do anything to you. He'd never allow you to be killed."

Her eyebrows rose at his direct words and her heart seemed to still. "That's not…" she faltered, unsure.

Grimmjow seemed to sense her doubt. "You think he would let you die?"

She looked at him silently, eyes wide, finding she could not speak in opposition.

"He has been doing a lot of abnormal things lately. That whole mission was created extremely carefully, wasn't it? He sent Tesra with that idiot Nnoitra to keep him in check. He immediately left to make sure I didn't do anything, even though I wanted to fight more than anything. That's not the Ulquiorra I knew. It's like he has been quietly making things as easy for you as possible."

Orihime found she couldn't breathe. It was too much, this knowledge that everything might have been done for her well-being. But even as she wondered at it, she found that everything seemed to fit. His anger with her made sense. And then, to make things worse, he found out that his careful plan might not have worked and Sado had died after all. He would have felt doubly upset. And even more - she hadn't even known all he had done for her.

Immediately she felt tears spring to her eyes. "I… I was so wrong."

It was all she could say. This quiet admittance said with her entire heart to the wrong person. She had felt so betrayed when he spoke about how her feelings were so useless. It had been easy to accept his statement when she was suddenly so lost in her own grief. She knew how he perceived emotions, yet it had not stopped him from supporting her, standing up for her, and making sure she was safe and well.

The night she healed him, it had been his hand holding her to him. It was his own decision based on his own wants, not just a command by some all-knowing leader. When he looked at her by the window, his eyes had looked more open than she had ever seen because he was with her. She had always looked for these qualities so acutely with Ichigo, because it had always been what she desired from him. But now, from another person, she had missed the signs. Ulquiorra was different. And she too was different now.

He believed emotions should be discarded due to the danger they posed, but he had allowed her presence in his life to be more than just a jailor and his ward. He had placed her, in his eyes, in the position of comrade, one that he had almost watched die. The frantic feelings she had experienced the night he was injured must have been similar to his own. But he kept things so carefully hidden. It would not occur to him to show anything other than his anger towards her. Anger would make sense; it was something easily identified, and it made the most impact.

But why… why hadn't he tried to talk to her since then?

In her mind's eye, she saw his back turned away, walking into an elevator. She had looked back, briefly. It was the last she had seen of him since. He had not stood straight, as his shoulders had sagged. His lonely figure was all she could see now.

Ulquiorra had once said that becoming nothing was what he thought of as true happiness. But would he not be happy now? Being alone in his empty apartment with the sliver of a moon and nothingness?

She squeezed her eyes shut briefly, understanding all too well that loneliness. It would not make him happy. He had never been able to correctly identify what made himself happy. As Tokio, he had thought ceasing to exist would be happiness. As Ulquiorra, he had attempted a new start at life but seemed to be stuck in that same cycle of having no purpose.

"What… what are you going to do with me?" she asked Grimmjow suddenly, looking up at him, her brown eyes containing no fear. "You said you wanted to kill me."

His lip jerked in a half-sneer at her question. He didn't appreciate her lack of fear or the way she stared at him, almost daringly.

"I should kill you," bringing his hand up to place around her neck. His fingers, though, did not tighten. "You are the enemy, and your tech is dangerous. Ulquiorra isn't here to protect you."

She stared up at him without blinking. Still, she showed no fear. "I'm not your enemy, Grimmjow-kun." Her voice was soft, but he had heard her given the way his eyes widened. She felt his fingers twitch against her neck.

He was looking down at his hand now, the one she had brought back from nothing. It would not have existed without her, and she knew that he was thinking the same thing when he looked back at her.

"I hate that guy," he said, "and I hate being wrong." His fingers released and he withdrew his hand. "But, I guess he was right." He looked away quickly, as if he was disgusted by his own admittance.

But then he turned back to fix her with a piercing gaze. "And you? What are you going to do?"

Orihime bit her lip. "I… I don't know." She needed time.

There were still doubts, but they had lessened. For now, she wanted to mull things over. Because Orihime understood that if she went back, things would be different. If she went back for him, she could not allow him to hold himself separate any longer. Their relationship would change. That was something she felt assured about. If she went back, they would both have to admit what they meant to one another. That would be a point of no return for them both.

"You don't have much time," Grimmjow told her darkly. "Not with the way things operate here."

She nodded, knowing that he spoke the truth.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Ulquiorra checked his phone, but found no new messages. Earlier, he had been texted _'meeting'_ and nothing more. He knew it meant an Espada meeting, but he had not received any further information. It was not all that unusual, but he still felt anxious about it. Somehow Aizen felt closer, as if he was one step away from destroying him altogether.

He sighed, the puff of hair blowing the bangs at his nose. Things were so quiet. Before, he had not noticed it because he had not expected it to be any other way. But once Orihime had become part of his life, he felt himself wishing for his solitude again. Especially at first. The moment she had moved in, he was thinking of the moment she would be gone. Now the silence was unnerving, unnatural.

Green eyes glanced at the stairs, and his face pulled in a frown. It had been so long since anyone had sat at the top, looking over everything like they belonged completely. She had liked to sit there, though he was not sure why. His head tilted to the side as he thought, moving slowly towards the stairs. When he reached them he stood at the bottom, looking up, wondering what exactly he was doing. He climbed one foot at a time. He had not gone up to the second floor since she left. Soon he stood outside of her door.

_His_, his mind corrected. It was his room, his home. She had simply borrowed it.

Pale fingers enclosed around the doorknob, and he turned it, pushing the door open. The first thing he noticed was that the scent that hit his nose was unmistakably hers. It was slightly floral, somehow, even though he did not know her to use any sort of perfumes. His hand found the light switch and the room was illuminated.

Things were much as he remembered. There were a few personal items that he had given her. These were displayed proudly in the open to add various splotches of color to the otherwise white room. The sheets were strewn about; she hadn't remembered to make her bed that morning because she had been nervous. On the desk sat a pink book and pen.

His attention turned to this, and he walked over to look it over. It was a journal of some sort, with blue flowers drawn on the cover. He touched it gently, feeling the smooth surface. His fingers slipped below the lip and he opened the book to find her bubbly scrawl.

'_This is the diary of Orihime Inoue'_ was written across the top of the first page. And below it said, '_The story of my adventures underground!'_

He flipped through the pages slowly. Many entries were fairly short. Sometimes she wrote of being bored or hungry, and sometimes she wondered what her friends were doing. In some cases she wrote of a dream she had had, or a thought that had popped into her mind.

On one page she had scribbled a picture of the eye-cam that followed her.

'_I named it Shadow, since it is always following me around. At first I considered 'Droopy', but that seemed a bit cruel. I'm not sure what it is, but I suspect Ulquiorra can create an eye army…'_

He glanced at pieces of other entries.

'_I wish I were as brave as Kurosaki-kun. He always knows exactly what to do… I feel like a flower blowing by the wind. I don't ever know exactly what to do or where to go. Somehow I just wind up in odd places. But Kurosaki-kun… he has such a steadiness to him. Actually, Ulquiorra does too. He seems to know exactly what het does and does not want. Nothing ever fazes him. I wish I could be like that…'_

'_Today Ulquiorra complimented me. I was so surprised, I didn't know quite what to say. But it made me feel happy, somehow.'_

'_I've started Operation: Get to Know Ulquiorra. So far I don't know anything about him, but I'm hoping to change that. I know it will be difficult, but I'm confident! I know deep down he must not be too bad… He just seems so unreachable sometimes, and it makes me sad.'_

'_Tonight I don't feel well. I miss my friends a lot suddenly, and I'm lonely. Loneliness is the worst feeling…well, I suppose being a burden would be worse. Right now though, I feel so far away. Does anyone think of me? I know it's selfish to complain, especially after all they have to deal with. These words will never reach them anyways.'_

'_I used to want to be like the rain. It can connect what is always separated, the earth and sky. If I was like that, couldn't I connect with anyone? But it seems so silly now. He doesn't even like the rain…'_

He blinked at the entry, wondering what she meant. There was obvious longing in her words, but for what, he was not sure. Ulquiorra skipped ahead.

'_I decided to play a prank on Ulquiorra today, and I flipped the couch cushions. It was really hard keeping a straight face, so I pretended to throw the eye around from the top of the stairs. When he came out, he looked around like he usually did, watched me for a minute, and went into the living room. At first I thought he might not notice because he seemed to glance at the couch and away. But then his head snapped back so fast and he stared at it for a full minute, I think! I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. I've never seen him so perplexed before!'_

Ulquiorra felt his eye twitch in annoyance, discovering that it had been her. She had duplicated the trick a few times since then, and while he always suspected her, he had never caught her in the act.

'_His name was Tokio. He told me a lot about himself, though he didn't seem to care at all. Now I wonder, even though I know these things about him, am I any closer? Does simply knowing facts about a person make you connect to them? I don't think it is that easy. I can list several things about him now. I can easily list his physical traits, I can define what it means for him to make certain gestures, and I now know his name and his past. But what do these things really mean? Between us there is so much division. Further than the earth and the sky. To the moon even. _

Everything_ divides us.' _

He stared at the last line, feeling dismayed at the truthful words. Certainly, she had been right. She could never connect with one who wanted nothing to do with such things. With low spirits, he found a new passage.

'_Today I cooked for Ulquiorra. I made sure to make something simple, so he wouldn't tell me never to do it again. It felt so good cooking again, like things are back to normal. He ate everything and even told me it was good! I was so happy he liked it. It seems he enjoyed the sweet taste, so maybe I can bake him something sometime…'_

'_All today, Ulquiorra was being very quiet. Actually, he was gone for a good part of the day, but when he was around, he did not say much, or even look in my direction. It's unusual for him to not check on me, or ask me how my work is. His lips were pursed too, so I think he was worried about the mission Aizen gave him. I don't know what it is, but it makes me nervous that he is nervous. Hopefully, Shadow will look out for him…'_

There was a gap in entries after this. She seemed to have gone a few days without writing.

'_I've been busy lately…mostly with my thoughts. I didn't know exactly how to write them, so I decided to wait. I think Ulquiorra was nearly killed, though he won't admit that. I also think he discovered something upsetting, but he won't admit that either. _

_I've thought about it, the scenario. Ulquiorra would have died alone with no one to help him. Other Espada seem to at least have others looking out for them, thinking of them. He has no one… but me. And what could I do anyways? He chooses to be alone, doesn't he?_

_No…I am not looking close enough. That night… the 'everything' seemed less. Like, instead of just standing on the earth, I was standing on a tower. There were no clouds, just clear sky, darkness, and the moon. That's what it was like, and I just couldn't stop reaching.' _

He moved ahead again, feeling anxious, wanting to know what her words might mean. It was like he was missing an important clue in deciphering this alien language of hers. A short entry caught his eye.

'_We stood side by side and looked at the moon. I'm no longer just on a tower. I'm in an airplane flying closer and closer… And the question plagues me… will the moon be gone right when I'm about to reach it? And even more importantly, what will I do with it if I do?'_

And then suddenly, he had flipped to the last page available. It was a longer entry, and his fingers pressed against the words as if he could reach her through them.

'_I'm going on a mission in order to protect my friends. I'm worried, not for my own safety, but regarding my ability to do what I need to do. _

_I've been thinking about what it means to connect. Yes, I think about this a lot… but it is one of the biggest struggles in this place, I think. Ulquiorra does not believe in connecting with someone, or so he says. He does not believe in 'the heart'. Love and friendship are meaningless to him. I gave up my life for these feelings, yet it would seem I have gained nothing in return but misfortune. In a way he might be right. I have been made to look a traitor. I have been lonely and afraid more than once. So what is the point? Thing is… perhaps the most important part… I would not have been able to stand such things without the knowledge that others were thinking of me and worrying for me too. I know they are worrying just the same as I am. We are fighting, in our own way, to return to one another. I know this as sure as I know the heart in my chest beats to keep me alive. Because of the heart I am connected to them, and they to me. Our hearts are one, no matter how far away we are from one another. And this makes all the difference. Tatsuki-chan, Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun…and so many others… are with me all the time. I'll never be alone, not really. Even if I die tomorrow, I won't be alone._

_And… even if he would disagree, I also keep Ulquiorra in my heart. I don't want him to be alone anymore, I've decided. I don't care if I have to drag the moon down myself. We're together in this now. Nothing will divide us anymore. With all of these hearts connected to mine, there's no way I can fail tomorrow!'_

His phone buzzed, but he did not heed it. He wanted to read those words, over and over, until they were memorized. What he had wondered at, struggled to understand, was explained right here. Her writing seemed careful, yet completely sincere, the way she described her thoughts and what she had decided upon.

She was not denying that the heart caused pain in ones life. In fact, she was all too aware of that fact. He knew that with any emotion came a negative side. Pride, greed, envy, wrath, things that were felt when acknowledging and following one's emotions. By doing away with all emotion, all feeling, he would remove it all so that he could not be influenced by it. There was nothing in this world worth the emotions attached to it. Emptiness could be the only happiness and peace.

When she came, he slowly began to change his behavior. At first, he hadn't even noticed it. Sometimes he would record her expressions to reevaluate later. Or things she said. It had been for the sake of knowledge, he rationalized. To better serve Aizen, or for furthering his own life. His change had gone further than that, though. He eventually did things that he knew to be risks. For her. For her own preservation. Suddenly he did not like the idea of her disappearing from his life.

What was that feeling? Wanting someone to stay alive, to stay near, to be safe. Why would he desire it?

_Nothing will divide us._

The fear he had felt when she was trapped and the anger that soon followed were both because of the change in him. Yes, it was a change inside. It was the tightness in his chest. Because of her, he felt those things. They were painful. So was the jealousy he felt when she spoke of Ichigo.

However…his appreciation for her smile, her gentleness, her radiance, and her odd behaviors, these were all things also born from these feelings. They were things created because of his acceptance of her presence. No, even further, things he enjoyed seeing. If she had been killed, so would some part of himself. But he would not have given that up. There was no better reason for him to release all of his fears than to be with her.

He took up the pen and wrote in his careful handwriting right below her last words. And then he left her room and out of his apartment. He felt lighter in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. No, it was possible he had never felt such a feeling before in his life. Not as Tokio, and definitely not as Ulquiorra.

Grimmjow was waiting for him nearby, leaning casually against a wall. "We can't meet tonight, something came up with Szayel. Apparently there is some big news."

He nodded, looking around. It was strange that Grimmjow would want to talk to him about something like this; usually he would just leave a text. "Do you know more about this?" he asked, showing his confusion.

Grimmjow shook his head. "We'll find out tomorrow. I think early. But that's not why I'm here."

Ulquiorra's eyebrows shot up and his attention focused solely on the other man. "Then, why?"

"To warn you. Things aren't going very well for her."

His insides froze. Immediately he knew what _her_ had meant. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she is getting the shit beaten out of her!" he said vehemently, "Those sisters, in Harribels section, they've been after her since she got there, I think. I found them in the act, tried to do the girl a favor, but she just healed them up."

With every ounce of calm façade he could muster, Ulquiorra let out a slow, deathly quiet, "I see." But inside, it was like a volcano had erupted. His hands wished to tear, to destroy, and he had the fight the urge to walk away just then and do it.

"You…tried to help?" he found himself asking, looking at Grimmjow. He must have seen the barely contained rage within for he nodded with a somewhat impressed expression.

"Yeah, she was being tossed around. I dunno why, I just acted." His blue eyes shifted away. "I suppose I felt I owed her that." He clenched his fist a moment, before looking back. "But she didn't want it. She said she…understood."

Ulquoirra tried to calm himself with slow breaths though his heart thundered rapidly. "Yes, she would say that."

"Why?" Grimmjow asked, rounding on him. "It's not like I've given her a reason to trust me or anything. She should be terrified! I even told her I wanted to kill her. But there was no fear in her eyes. How is she like that?"

Ulquiorra stared down at Grimmjow's hand, and then inspected his own. "Because…because of her heart. That's why," he said quietly, yet sincerely.

Grimmjow continued to look unsure. "Does she really…understand? How could a girl like her understand us?"

Ulquiorra's lip twitched faintly. Somehow he found it ironic, even humorous, that Grimmjow was wondering the very same thing he had been perplexed by this entire time. Now it was he who was explaining.

"Even if she does not behave as we do, it does not mean she cannot understand us. It is her willingness to try that is the difference. That woman has spent this entire time here trying to understand me. In the end, she knew me quite well, while I could not grasp her. No two people will ever be exactly the same, but that does not mean you cannot share yourself with them. It is a truth so simple, yet so profound…and I had not been able to see it."

Grimmjow watched him unblinkingly. "I was right about her. She is dangerous." But then he sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But, she isn't the enemy. Guess I'd rather have her on our side than not."

Ulquiorra cocked an eyebrow at him, but agreed. "Yes, dangerous in a way Aizen is not. The ability to change another person's world is…quite impressive."

"Guess she is stronger than we thought." Grimmjow relented, turning away. He threw a glance over his shoulder and advised, "But don't push it too far. Those bitches don't know when to stop. Once they get over my little scare, they'll be back for vengeance."

Ulquiorra nodded, feeling, perhaps for the first time, grateful towards his ally. "Your warning won't be neglected."

A thought seemed to strike Grimmjow, for he paused in his turning away to look at Ulquiorra with a haunted expression. "Kurosaki…he's not normal either."

"Yes," he agreed softly, feeling a strange sensation. It was something between fear and curiosity. "He is…like us."

"Except, he can't control it. That makes him worse."

He understood what Grimmjow was getting at. The decision he had made so long ago, about Ichigo not being a threat, could possibly come back to haunt him. It was Grimmjow who had discovered what lay within, because Grimmjow could better identify with that desire to battle. While Ulquiorra also held that desire, it was not what fueled him and it was not part of his strength. Grimmjow's entire being focused around destruction. Only he could best identify that same quality in another. After witnessing how Ichigo had changed from their first meeting to the recent, it was apparent that he was undergoing some surprising changes in power.

"You may be right…" he said, causing even Grimmjow to look surprised. It may have been the first time he had conceded such a thing. "However, what stands him apart may very well be that he is fighting against it. If the moment ever came where Kurosaki accepted that darkness…" He let the possibility hang in the air, both understanding. It would be a power neither could defend against.

"But how?" Grimmjow asked next, his face set in a confused expression. "How is he like us?"

It had been a question that had plagued Ulquiorra as well. It made little sense; Aizen prided himself on his personally created enhancement technology. It was something that was being kept extremely secretive, enough so that their lives were being threatened to keep it under wraps. Yet here was an outsider exhibiting the same powers. This observation, coupled with Aizen's focus on information retrieval from the very company Ichigo worked for…it could not be a coincidence.

"I do not know," Ulquiorra said carefully, his thoughts reaching a conclusion that he would not have previously ever considered. "But we should bring this up. What Kurosaki holds within him is extremely dangerous."

"Looks like we've got a lot to talk about tomorrow," Grimmjow said finally. When Ulquiorra nodded, he made his way down the hall, leaving the other man alone to plan what to do. Ichigo Kurosaki and his strange power was pushed to the back of his mind as he recalled Orihime's harassment.

Tomorrow, he thought, he would talk to Harribel. And, even more assuring, Ulquiorra knew Harribel had returned from her recent assignment. He suspected, as cowardly as those two were, that they would not attack Orihime unless they knew for sure she was not being watched.

Tomorrow he would retrieve her. Tomorrow they would resolve their differences. He would be starting a new direction with his life.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I liked this chapter, especially writing the diary part. All of the canon additions that I enjoyed so much from the author simply had to be added. I felt this chapter had a lot of UlquiHime without them actually being around each other, hehe. So next chapter...another favorite of mine...for...reasons. That's all I'm sayin', so please go and review and I will try to hurry along with the next part ;)

Beta'd by an alarming chu~

**Summerrayah**: Thank you very much! I'm glad you are enjoying this story!

**RAHbooks**: Hehe, thanks for understanding, because that is true! And I do love the arrancar. It's been fun trying to write them in this setting!

**Pardon the Insanity**: Oh yes, Ulquiorra is very heart-sick over Orihime… I really wanted to portray how lost he is with the sudden silence, with her absence. The little things that she would do that still managed to impact him. And he feels guilty, which makes him think he deserves it.

But Ulquiorra is Ulquiorra and he still is trying to figure his other problems out (couldn't have him only moping around, right? Hehe) And no, I'm definitely not tech savvy either, so I try to make it understandable without it being too intense. Because, I simply can't do intense tech language to begin with, haha. And the password…I'm curious how many people will guess it right!

And soon-ish…hehe yes, soonish. As in, you are getting really warm…

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review!

**Ulquihime7980**: Not sure what you mean by secret? But thanks for reading!

-Miss Soupy


	15. Chapter 15

**Ch 15**

She had been having a curious dream lately. It had started sometime when she was with Harribel, and it had varied slightly each time she had it. But the general theme was always there; she was walking along somewhere, and she heard a voice. Sometimes she was taking a stroll through the city. Sometimes it was a park or foresty area. Once it was even a desert of white sand. Things would seem entirely normal at first, until a faint call could be heard. She wouldn't react right away, thinking it was the wind, or perhaps a child playing on the playground nearby, or even that she had imagined it. But the call would come again, a bit louder, and then again, until she could not ignore the fact that someone was calling out to her. So would look around, bewildered, trying identify the voice's source. Eventually, she would try to walk towards it; she tried running a few times, but she could never get any closer. One thing was for sure - it was calling her name.

This time, she was walking back to her apartment when she heard it. She looked around at the people in proximity, but none would return her probing stare. They seemed faceless.

"Orihime."

She turned around, looking frantically; the sound had come from nearby. It was a male voice, but she could not quite place it.

"Yes? Who's there?" she tried calling, but there was no response. Her pace quickened.

"Orihime."

It seemed to come from all around her at once. "I'm here!" she called, even waving her arm high in the air. No one paid attention to her; they seemed unable to see her, those faceless people walking by. She felt a prickling at her neck, as if eyes were upon her, and she turned quickly to look. Somehow, she knew there was someone watching her. One person in this crowd was looking at her and her alone. She just couldn't see them.

"Orihime."

No matter how hard she searched, she could not find the eyes that watched her.

"I'm here," she whispered again, upset, her eyes brimming with tears. Was the voice getting fainter?

She looked up. Somehow it was night; she was _certain_ it had been sunny and clear just a moment ago. Now stars dotted the sky, and a pale crescent moon hung above. She stared at it, mesmerized, and wondering where the day had gone, when she felt a hand nudging her fingers.

A voice, silky smooth, spoke at her ear, "Here."

Her heart leapt at the sound and she was turning, turning. Finally, she would know-

Brown eyes shot open. She was in her bed, in the room Harribel had given her. Sunlight softly spilled through her window, casting the room in a pink hue. It was sunset now; she guessed she had slept for about two or three hours. The previous night she had tossed and turned so much that she was grateful for even those miserable hours. By no means did she feel rejuvenated however; her eyes were still heavy. Her mind sought to remember something important, as she incurred a strange feeling of incompletion. What had she been dreaming?

Her arms prickled with goosebumps, and she rubbed them distractedly. Whatever it had been, she was left with both a flushed and chilled sensation. She desperately wished to remember.

Getting up, she left her room to enter the open living area in Harribel's home. Harribel was there, as was Apacci and Mila Rose. Apacci and Mila Rose were flipping through a magazine together, snickering at some of the pictures. Harribel was silently reading a book.

"Harribel-san," Orihime said, waving to the others as she approached. "Could I go for a walk?"

Harribel looked up at her, concern showing in her seafoam green eyes. "Are you well, Orihime? You look tired."

Apacci and Mila Rose both looked up at her as well, their faces contorted in confusion.

Orihime tried to smile reassuringly at them. "Oh, yes, I'm fine! I just had a strange dream, and I wanted to think about it."

Her answer seemed to deepen their worry, as deep frowns appeared on their faces. But Harribel, always lenient, consented, "Yes, you may go. Would you like company?"

Orihime shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I won't be gone too long. Maybe I'll go visit Lilynette-chan…"

The blonde woman nodded, and Orihime left them, stepping out into the 3rd section corridor.

"Let's see…" she spoke to herself, a finger at her chin as she walked along. "Something about… being outside…"

Bits and pieces came on her. Walking, people streaming by, a voice at her ear…

Yes, it was that dream again.

Orihime allowed her fingertips to trail against the wall as she thought about it. She had a strong feeling she knew the voice's owner, but she simply couldn't place it. Arriving at the bank of elevators, she clicked the call button and waited, rocking back and forth on her heels.

The doors rushed open, and she entered, her fingers hanging in the air before the buttons. She wasn't sure what she wanted to press. The doors slid shut, and the elevator moved before she decided; she found herself selecting the first floor button too late. The lift rotated in a circle, as it usually did, moving to whoever next summoned it.

The doors slid open, and she looked curiously at whoever would board. Her breath left her in a whoosh, and she stared wide-eyed at the figure before her. He too seemed tense; he stood outside the doors, unmoving, unblinking, just looking at her. No, not just looking at her, but looking into her, it felt, those green eyes boring straight into her heart. It was almost enough to make her knees fail completely, and she clung to the bar towards the back of the elevator so that she didn't fall. There Ulquiorra stood quietly, his expression that of surprise.

He was the first to recover, and quietly entered the elevator to press the number 4 on the panel. His eyes though never left hers.

She looked away, unable to stand the weight of his stare. The silence was heavy, yet still her heart beat frantically in her chest. It was the first time since she left, since he had been so angry, that she had been this close to him. Yet here he was, looking the same as ever. No - he was different, as somehow his sadness seemed even deeper; his shoulders drooped slightly as if weighed down by something heavy. But then she too must look different to him. More worn, perhaps, and not as bright as she once was. It had been awhile since she had looked in a mirror.

She wrung her hands in front of her as the elevator seemed to move at a snail's pace. It was too much, this silence. He was _right there_. Within arms' reach. It would only take a slight movement, and their hands would touch. She found herself again wondering what he would do then. Would he recoil in horror? What would he say? Her cheeks became hot thinking of it. What would he think to know she had worried for him as much as she had worried for her friends these past few weeks?

Her eyes moved to look at him again. As if knowing her action, he too turned his head, green eyes falling on her. The action proved to be her undoing, and she felt all of the guilt and despair that had amassed since that time. Tears stung her eyes. He had been angry out of fear, before. She knew that now, understood what he had felt. Ulquiorra didn't even understand himself, let alone her, so how could she really blame him?

"I'm sorry!" she whispered, her face contorted in shame, and his eyes widened.

The elevator bell dinged, the doors opening to her destination. But she couldn't move. Nothing else mattered now. Everything had to be straightened out between them. She sniffed and hung her head, awaiting his judgment while he continued to look unsure of himself. He shifted his glance to the doors that stood open expectantly.

Orihime heard him move but didn't look up. Clicking at the number pad caused the door to close, and the elevator moved again. He now stood before her, and she could barely make out the tips of his shoes in her vision.

"Woman," he uttered, and she stiffened. His hand found her chin and lifted it up so he could give her an examining stare. Green eyes studied her face for a moment, moving it to the side slightly before releasing her. "You look unwell. It seems Harribel has not cared for you properly."

He turned away from her then, his hands sliding into his pockets and she was left stuttering. "N-no…I…" But he stayed silent, at least until the elevator stopped again, the green number 4 illuminating as the doors slid open.

"Come," he beckoned, moving along the hall to his private apartment before opening it and walking through the second set of doors.

She silently followed, finding herself in the tidy looking apartment she had once shared with the Espada. But even this felt different, standing in the white space. The door closed behind her, the sound reverberating in her ears. There was no turning back now.

Ulquiorra had moved to turn the lights on but soon approached her again. When she didn't look him in the eye, he once again took her chin, gently moving it up so that she looked at him. He looked different this time, almost hesitant. His eyes had softened as well, and this time, when he looked her over, she sensed some regret held within.

"Remember, Aizen is watching nearly everywhere. But, it is safe here," he told her, and her eyes widened in understanding. He had been cold because Aizen might have gotten suspicious. Even Ulquiorra kept secrets from Aizen.

"I didn't think of it," she admitted softly. "I'm sorry."

Again he seemed uncomfortable, yet his fingers remained at her jaw. "Why is it that you are apologizing? What wrong have you done?"

Her eyes shown with true regret as she said, "For leaving you."

There was a deep pain within him suddenly at her words. She had blamed herself for what couldn't be her fault. She was thinking of him still even though he had treated her wrongly. Ulquiorra felt as if he was on the cusp of something world changing.

"It is natural that, when presented with something that causes pain and fear, that one would retreat." This was his entire philosophy. He had nothing but his rationalization of the world and events within it. Everything fit nicely in line that way; every box either white or black. She too felt these choices, felt the same rationalization. Her brain clicked through the same processes as his did trying to decide the best, safest path for her to travel. In that, at least, they were no different.

It startled him when he felt her press her cheek into his hand. "Yes, but…" her eyes became unfocused as if she were looking far beyond him. "Running away doesn't really solve anything. You… you can't let fear dominate your actions like that. Of all people, I know this especially." She looked back to him thoughtfully. "I had a dream where someone was calling for me. But for some reason I couldn't make out who it was or what they wanted. It was scary, feeling I was missing something important. No one else noticed, and I felt so alone. But I knew I needed to find them, because someone needed my help. And once I decided what I would do, all I needed to do was stop and listen. That was when I finally heard them. I could understand."

Green eyes widened, and Ulquiorra suddenly felt slight fear easing in. That great change seemed ever closer, and part of him rebelled against it. But he could not move away from her. Her inner strength detained him.

"I only just now realized… you were the one calling to me, Ulquiorra," she told him softly, her eyes keeping his. "I won't abandon you again. You don't have to be alone anymore."

The pain in his chest blossomed into something else. He sucked in a slow breath, attempting to calm the feeling. What was this? It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. His fingers that had been kept steady at her jaw fell down, drawing across her neck before stopping at her chest.

_Ka-thump._

As he felt it at his fingertips, so did he feel it fill himself. His own heart flickered excitedly. This was not like before where her heart beat felt detached from him. It was the same sound, the same feeling, as if her heart existed within him as well. Ulquiorra felt as if he were a different being altogether.

But, he felt himself asking his final thought: "Are you afraid, woman? Of who I am… and what I am?"

A smile spread across her face. "No," she breathed. "Never."

Her eyes were dark, tired, but expectant. There was nothing left standing between them. Green eyes flickered toward rosy lips, and in an instant, heart, mind, and body all wanted the same thing. She watched him, eyes closing as their lips met and he pressed himself against her.

It was, at first, but the faintest caress of flesh. She stepped closer, pressing her body closer to his, and his hand came up to bury itself in her crimson hair. Their lips met again, firmer this time, and he felt that feeling in his chest explode. This was not simply a physical action; this was an exchange. Thoughts and feelings rushed through his mind, quickening his urgency, wanting her closer. _More_, they said; _never stop_.

He felt her fingers curl into his jacket, and his free hand found them, his own fingers taking hers. She sighed into his mouth and his heart skipped. Trailing kisses along her jaw, he reveled in the way she panted, her lips turning up in a smile when she opened her eyes. He pulled away to look down at her, his own lips turned up, ever so slightly. One of her hands reached up to stroke his cheek, a finger trailing down one of the tear streaks.

"I missed you," she said, her cheeks pink, but her eyes were clearly honest.

His body seemed to move on its own, and soon his forehead leaned down against hers. It was so new to him, this desire to be close to another person. Never before had he let his guard down like this. Touch had never been so important, yet now he wanted to keep her as near as possible. It was almost an obsession, he thought wryly. But he could not find reason to argue against it, not when she looked so happy and certainly not when he felt so complete.

"I have regretted how I treated you, all of this time," he told her evenly, his eyes searching hers for any hidden emotion of discomfort.

She shook her head slowly, her bright hair falling gracefully over her shoulder. "I forgave it a long time ago. I just needed to understand…" She leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth shyly. "And I couldn't blame you. You were afraid."

His eyes closed briefly, their foreheads still touching. "Yes, but I should be used to fear. With you," he opened his eyes again, "…it was worse."

Her heart beat quickened, hearing him speak of her that way. No one had ever spoken to her like he was now, and though he was not the person she had always day-dreamed of, she found that the reality was indescribably better. This connection between them, something that had started off as nothing and had built into this monumental feeling of completeness… was more than she had thought possible. His carefully erected walls had been thrown down for her, and she vowed she would never give him a reason to regret doing so.

"I did not know how to handle it," he went on, his voice soft. "I have never needed to worry about another persons livelihood. You wished for my trust, yet I could not give it."

"I trust you, Ulquiorra. I was never afraid for my own life when I was with you," she said, her eyes and voice sincere. "And I hope you can trust me too…but," she smiled prettily at him. "I can be patient."

Rather than replying, he kissed her gratefully, and hoped she understood. He did not expect himself, after years of living for himself, to suddenly act like a proper person towards her. He trusted her on a level that he trusted no other, but there was so much he did not understand. But her soft lips against his… was a good start, he thought, and the way she eagerly replied was also positive.

His mouth found her neck, and he suckled a spot tenderly, his hand caressing the back of her neck before tangling in her hair. She gasped as he laved at her flesh, her hands winding around his neck. Her entire body felt hot and flushed, her breathing had quickened considerably by now. His attention was so _wanted_; she felt her entire body react positively to him. Only a month ago they had been barely acquaintances. A little before then, they had been enemies. Now she felt like she never wanted to part from him, from the warmth and tenderness he showed her now.

He seemed so careful in every touch, every kiss, and every caress. She found him watching her more than once, gauging her reactions. His eyes were a dark green, and she thought she could stare into his vivid eyes for hours and never be bored. But then he found her lips again, and her eyes closed as she focused on that sensitive point of contact between them. There was so much she wanted to say, to tell him. Did he understand how she felt about him? That this wasn't just a fling for her? She had not used the L word for anyone other than Ichigo… yet… there was something here, something important. Orihime knew that whatever she felt for Ichigo was nothing compared to this.

Presently, she noticed that their kissing had slowed, with Ulquiorra moving more leisurely against her lips. She opened her eyes, thinking to show her disapproval, when she saw him watching her. He pulled back, and she breathed a slow breath to cool herself. Butterflies seemed to be fluttering within her stomach and she felt suddenly embarrassed.

"Come," he beckoned, pulling her hand that he had not released. She blinked, unsure, but followed as he led her to his bedroom.

He closed the door behind her, but did not turn on a light, so that they were left in complete darkness. Her heart thundered, suddenly apprehensive. She was not sure what he was expecting, but she couldn't say she was entirely ready for it. Her feelings for him were strong, but she certainly did not want to rush into things. They had time, didn't they? There was still a lot they could learn about one another.

He guided her further into his room, seemingly unaffected by the sudden darkness. Her face felt hot as she realized he was leading her towards his bed.

"Ah…" she squeaked, her voice lost somewhere in her throat.

There was a click, and then the room was illuminated by a small lamp on a side table. She blinked rapidly at the sudden light, and when her eyes had focused again, looked up to see Ulquiorra watching her curiously. Her cheeks felt immediately hot again, under his gaze, and she looked away, pretending to be examining his room.

"What's wrong?" he breathed into her ear, making her jump.

"Ah! N-nothing!" she looked back to see an amused expression on his face. She puffed her cheek out in response, her face contorting into comedic annoyance.

"Why don't you rest, woman," he suggested, his lips twitching at her reaction. "You are tired. I have heard you have not had a comfortable time."

She looked from Ulquiorra to the bed, and thinking it was a good idea, tentatively sat.

"Who told you?" she asked, surprised, peeling off her shoes as she did so.

"Grimmjow," was the reply as he turned and opened the door to leave the room.

She was about to ask where he was going, when a flying object collided with her forehead. "Oh!"

A small winged ball dropped into her open palms to look up at her. "Did you miss me?" she laughed, not at all angry about the growing red spot on her forehead.

The eye regarded her silently for a moment before rotating in her hand to look at the door. Ulquiorra had returned, a pile of clothing in his hands. He laid them next to her while raising an eyebrow at the noisy eye.

"To sleep," he told her, grabbing the eye away.

"Thank you…" She got up and took the clothes into the joined bathroom, closing the door behind her. Orihime changed into her pajamas quickly, stifling a yawn as she folded her dirty clothing. She was suddenly very tired again, though she felt loathe to fall asleep now. There seemed to be so much she wanted to do.

Leaving the bathroom, she found Ulquiorra pulling a blanket out of his dresser drawer.

"What's that for?" she asked curiously, laying her clothes on a chair nearby. In his hand was a pillow.

"For me," he said, looking her over.

Her heart sank and she frowned, causing him to look at her with confusion. "You were nervous… I do not wish to make you uncomfortable."

"It's not that!" she exclaimed, her cheeks pink. "I… I just didn't want things to move too fast. But… I'd like it if you stayed…" She looked at the floor, embarrassed. "If you want, that is."

He watched her a moment, his head cocked slightly to the side. "Very well." Taking up his phone, he clicked a few buttons before setting it on the side table. "I informed Harribel that you will not be returning," he told her, and she nodded gratefully.

In an attempt to be brave, she moved to sit on the side of the bed, waiting for him to do the same. Ulquiorra hesitated a moment, perhaps trying to decide if she was truly alright with the situation, before setting his blanket aside and moving to the opposite side of the bed where he replaced his pillow. She fell back, against the soft mattress and felt instantly giddy. Looking up, she meant to smile at Ulquiorra, but he had his back to her while he removed his shirt. Her heart leapt into her throat as he turned to her, his chest bare.

Scrambling under the covers, she attempted to hide her embarrassment in the sheets. The bed dipped as his weight was added, and with a click, the room was left in darkness again. She felt silly, acting like a little girl when she had asked him to stay. Relaxing, she felt in the darkness for his arm.

"Ulquiorra?"

Orihime felt him shift, and soon, he was next to her, his hand wrapping around hers in the darkness. She could make out his eyes looking at her, and realized he must be able to see in the dark.

"Yes?"

She wriggled closer to him so that she could feel the heat of his body against hers, and asked, "Is this better…than emptiness? Are you…happy?"

His answer was to lean his face down to hers, studying her face in the dark a moment. Then his mouth pressed gently to hers, and she was reminded of a cool, moonlit night. "Yes," he whispered, pulling away to settle against her again, her forehead pressed against his cheek.

This was, finally, the true happiness he had been trying to discover. Now he had to ensure that nothing happened to it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Haha, so it finally happened! Does it feel good now that the waiting is over with? :) There is still a bit more of the story to go, so hopefully people will keep on reading! Next chapter, the return of the Espada meetings, and some UlquiHime goodness, as usual. Please review!

Beta'd by a working chu.

**Grimm-Inouka004**: Thank you! Hopefully reading the rest of the chapters will help it make sense XD Glad you are enjoying it though!

**ulquihime7980**: She has told him about her life, actually. About her brother, about cutting her hair, those things. Thanks for reading!

**99vampiress**: Glad you liked it! Thank you for reading! :)

**RAHbooks**: If you are curious about what he wrote…I'd look out for the next chapter, hehe. I do like Grimmjow and Ulquiorra being these, somewhat rivals, somewhat allies. Makes things more interesting, I think! Thanks for reading!

**nypsy**: I like seeing them understand one another too. And really, if anyone could have a deep understanding of each other, it would be them. They were able to accomplish deep levels of understanding in such a short time in canon. The sisters…well Harribel pretty much already knows they aren't very nice. She still hopes they will turn themselves around one day. Thanks for reading!

**Pardon the Insanity**: Oh, I just can't resist the canon stuff. So much of it is too perfect to leave out. I chose Grimmjow over Tesra because Grimmjow and Ulquiorra seem to know each other better. Also, I like them as a duo, in a way, because of how different their personalities are and yet they seem to, at least somewhat, respect one another. And I do find Grimmjow very intelligent, for someone obsessed with destruction, haha. It really made sense to me, that he'd notice Ulquiorra's actions.

The diary was a way to have, essentially, the Hearts convo without them actually talking to one another (and also no interruptions!). I wanted there to be no doubt in Ulquiorra's mind by the time they met again, about what the heart meant for himself and what he wanted. Also, it gave me a way to show Orihime's desire to get to know him, and to, you know, sort of show him the light. I wanted to use Orihime's theme of connecting, but in a way that made sense with Ulquiorra. That's why I chose her reaching for the moon, and this image of her getting higher and higher towards this really unreachable object. And then in the end she simply decides to reject any division, because she cares about him.

And yes, Ichigo will come into play soon! I won't say more than that but…I do have a purpose for him.

Thanks for reading! :)

**LadyWeirdessa**: Oh, I was very slow with Ulquiorra finding emotion. I, too, don't like it when things move too fast. And I'm glad so many people love the Ulquiorra and Grimmjow dynamic as much as I do!

Thanks for reading!

-Miss Soupy


	16. Chapter 16

**Ch 16**

He was the first to wake the next morning, and he found that his arm was prickling annoyingly. Attempting to shift it, he found his arm hugged closely by the girl sleeping next to him. He studied her a moment, from the carefree expression she held while she slept to the odd angle she had positioned herself during the night. One leg hung out of the covers, while the other was haphazardly draped across his leg.

With a sigh, he carefully negotiated his arm out of her grasp, making sure not to wake her. He was not used to living so closely to another person. Where he barely moved from his initial laying position, she seemed to move around frequently, contorting the sheets and squirming closer to whatever heat source she could find. Once or twice, he had also been woken up by a soft noise or sigh coming from her while she slept.

Ulquiorra sat up, clenching and unclenching the arm that had fallen asleep in her hold. He looked back at her, his green eyes softening. Even if she caused his life to be in complete disarray, it was worth it. He had lived for himself enough, been alone enough. He would rather take many more lifetimes of her keeping him restless at night than one lifetime without her. There was simply no comparison.

Turning away from her, he felt on the bedside table for his phone, which had woken him up. His phone had buzzed, and looking at the screen, he found a message from Grimmjow.

_8:30._

He ran a hand through his hair as he set the phone down, mussing with his black tresses and thinking. Grimmjow had said Szayel had some sort of information for them, but he couldn't say what it could possibly be. Perhaps it was more information on the possible body-control Aizen held over them or perhaps something else entirely. As loathe as he was to leave at this point, he knew he needed to. A sudden feeling of protectiveness had risen from the new development between himself and Orihime. He had been responsible for her safety since she arrived, but now this need was on a whole new level. It was personal, not just an assignment, and any information that could be useful in ensuring her continued safety was a must. Ulquiorra would not let her fade into nothing in this place.

Getting up carefully, he left to take a shower. Orihime turned over, dozing lightly and feeling unwilling to wake just yet. The dream she was having included a bat-shaped stuffed animal Ulquiorra had given her as a gift, and she had been hugging it tightly when an ice cream stand took her attention. After getting a large helping, she noticed the stuffed animal was missing from her grasp and began searching frantically for it. This somehow evolved into a high speed chase between masked men and herself, with the toy held as ransom. At some point, it had started to rain just as she readied for their final stand-off. But when her army had begun moving towards the opposing army (yes, her dream had escalated to epic proportions), a noise in the distance had startled her awake.

For a moment she lay there, blinking rapidly in the dark. Soon, she realized where she was, and she softly questioned, "Ulquiorra?"

There was no response, and turning over, she saw he was no longer next to her. Sitting up, she clicked on the small lamp nearby, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. For a second, fear gripped her. Had everything that had happened led to regret for him? She bit her lip worriedly, looking around. But then the bathroom door behind her opened, and Ulquiorra strode out, a towel wrapped firmly around his waist and another being rubbed against his wet hair. When he noticed her sitting there watching with wide eyes, he paused in his movements.

Her breath caught in her throat at his nearly naked form, her cheeks instantly reddening. While her initial reaction would have been to turn away and mutter an apology, in the back of her mind such a reaction seemed entirely childish. What kind of signals would she be sending Ulquiorra if she always acted nervous and unsure of herself? He needed something solid and dependable in his life, and while they had only just begun this new path in their relationship, it would not do to worry him needlessly. Tearing her eyes from his toned torso, she willed herself to look into his eyes. He had pulled the towel away from his hair to hang it off of his shoulders. His black #4 tattoo stood out vividly against his pale skin, as did his eyes and tear streaks.

She smiled up at him. "Good morning, Ulquiorra."

His body seemed to relax, and he nodded slowly at her. Grabbing some of his clothes, he disappeared back into the bathroom briefly to change. She stretched languidly, her arms lifted towards the ceiling. Orihime felt so much better after a full night's sleep. Soon Ulquiorra had joined her again, this time approaching her side of the bed. His fingers found the underside of her chin, and he peered closely at her face.

"You seem more rested," he commented, eyeing her carefully to make sure she was well.

Her brown eyes found his, and she nodded against his hand. "I slept really well."

Tentatively, she rose to kiss the side of his cheek, smiling giddily at him. She couldn't help it; whenever she looked at him and saw the tenderness he held for her in his eyes, she couldn't help but feel indescribably happy. He captivated her attention so thoroughly. Honestly, he had been the center of her world for awhile now, partly out of reliance, and partly out of her own curiosity and desires. Now that he had chosen to share himself, his heart, with her, she felt so fortunate.

He regarded her quietly for a moment, his head tilted slightly to the side. Their faces were so close she could feel his breath gently puff against her cheek. Then, he tilted his head down, the distance effectively being closed, and their lips met. This action proved to be just as electric as the day before, and she felt her heart flutter at the feeling. Her head tipped back, deepening the kiss, and his hand came up to lightly touch her neck. Whatever fear she had felt about him possibly regretting the day before was lost. Boldly, her hands dipped under the unbuttoned shirt he wore to slide up his chest. Ulquiorra let out a surprised pant when she touched him, his eyes opening to regard her carefully. She watched him, mimicking the way he would watch her reactions, fingers lightly tracing against his ribs. His skin spasmed reflexively at her touch, being unused to contact.

Ulquiorra pulled away to watch curiously as she explored his upper torso with soft touches. She peeled back the upper part of his shirt to reveal his dark tattoo, tracing it with a thin finger.

"Why did Aizen number you?"

"To encourage competition amongst the Espada," he answered. "We are ranked based on power."

"Did you ever worry about it being unlucky?" she asked, looking solemnly up at him. He could not read her intent.

"No. I do not believe in such superstitions."

She smiled softly at him, her warm palm laid against the number. "Then it suits you. You don't need to be ruled by a silly fear like that."

Lightly, he touched her fingers where they rested, feeling suddenly grateful for her words. Where others had admitted relief they had not been given a number that meant 'death', he had always thought himself above such meaningless thoughts. She too was not worried, and it comforted him that she was content with the way he was.

Squeezing her fingers momentarily, he told her, "I have a meeting soon. It should not take long."

She blinked, looking around as if expecting something. After a moment, he realized she was making sure the white moth was not around.

"It is not a meeting with Aizen," he told her, seeing her face relax with relief.

"Alright. I'll get ready while you're gone."

He nodded, and pulled away, buttoning his shirt. Deciding to leave his better developed eyecam with Orihime, just in case, he took up one of his prototype versions and stuck it in his pocket. Giving her one last glance, he opened the bedroom door, and soon she was left alone. With a smile, she collapsed on the bed, hugging his pillow to her chest with an uncontained smile.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Explosives," Szayel said to a room of gloomy faces. "Aizen needed me to deliver a rather generous amount of explosives last night. He would not say for what nor when they would be used. But could it be anything other than Soul Systems?"

For a moment they sat in silence, considering the possibilities.

"They do have their special operations unit situated outside of the main building," Harribel mused, looking towards Szayel who nodded.

"Do you think the amount of explosives was enough to wipe them out?" Grimmjow asked with a frown.

Szayel nodded. "Yes, I believe so. If situated in a smart way, it would sufficiently take care of them. It is quite a bold move."

"Why would he not explain?" Starrk wondered, scratching his chin. "Does that not seem strange?"

Szayel made an annoyed face. "He never explains anything to me," he replied flippantly. "I think he doesn't on purpose, because it enrages me the most."

"But still…"

"Who then will deliver the explosives to the target?" Barragan asked, his wrinkled face tense.

Szayel shrugged. "I do not know. I had been hoping one of you would have been asked, and then we would have part of the mystery solved. However, it could always be Ichimaru or Tousen."

"It would be a double blow, to use former allies to do something like that," Nnoitra admitted, his long fingers taping the table. "It sounds like what Aizen would do."

"Cifer-san," Szayel said, directing his attention to Ulquiorra. "You have been fairly quiet today. What do you think of this?"

It was obvious that he fixed an untrusting gaze upon him, but Ulquiorra ignored it and stared steadily back. "I do not know why Aizen-sama would attempt this move. It seems likely that it is intended for Soul Systems, as there is nothing else he is interested in at the moment. However…I am wondering what repercussions we will face here, when he does such a thing. This apparent secrecy ensures that we will not be prepared for whatever occurs afterwards."

Understanding seemed to dawn upon the others slowly, their eyes becoming wide and their frowns deepening.

"You don't mean…"

He nodded solemnly. "We might become the scapegoats in this act. To deliver us up as the guilty party so that all blame is taken away from him. Surely, he has the police bought out. They will accept anyone for punishment, and we would of course desperately fight back, giving the appearance of guilt."

"Would he give us up like that? I thought he needed our power?" Starrk said, his voice suddenly hoarse.

Szayel seemed to have easily accepted the possibility, for he went on to explain, "He needed the illusion of power. In the end, Aizen only needs himself, doesn't he? How long has it been since that file was delivered? Is it not strange we have heard nothing further about it?"

Ulquoirra glanced at them, seeing the fear clearly on their faces. They were doomed, had been from the start. The game Aizen played had never truly included them as valuable pieces, merely ones that could be thrown away so that his playing field was as he wanted it. With Soul Systems forces out of the way and their lives paying for his desires, he could take what he wished with little push back.

It was clear to Ulquiorra what he needed to do with what little time he had left.

"What should we do?" Nnoitra voiced, his beady eye glaring at nothing in particular.

"We prepare ourselves," said Barragan, used to such turning of the tides. "If this is what he intends, we must be prepared to get out. I do not plan on being used this way."

Troubled glances followed, but acceptance soon came. "We can do nothing until we know except prepare in secret." Szayel agreed, and they nodded in agreement.

"I will be taking the woman back to Karakura," Ulquiorra said abruptly, finality in his voice. The others looked at him, surprised.

Truthfully, he was not entirely sure when he had come to that conclusion. It felt almost like a decision made the moment he decided he cared for her. He could no longer just keep her, selfishly, once he admitted how important she was to him. Doing so would only lead to her doom. Against Aizen, how could he protect her?

Starrk looked worried. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

He nodded, unwavering. "If we are under siege, it would be better for her to be in the care of her comrades. Here she is nothing but a pawn like we are."

They looked at him, somewhat awed, though they did not argue. Perhaps they sensed the change in him, or they simply would not second guess what did not pertain to them. He was not sure, but did not reflect further on it.

"There is more," Grimmjow spoke, catching Ulquiorra's eye briefly. "Kurosaki has the same power we do."

Harribel was quick to ask, "How is that possible? It is Aizen-sama's technology… he did not have access to the boy."

Szayel especially looked stunned, his amber eyes impossibly wide. "Could it have been… originally…" he trailed off, looking down at his own hands. "Is it possible that… Kisuke Urahara is the real genius behind that technology?"

The tension in the room, already strong, had now reached a new high. There was panic in the eyes of the others; could it be that their leader, from whom they had received their powers, might not have been the true source of their technology? And, not only that, but he could possibly be planning to use it against them…it was a lot to take in. While they had all remained wary, their concerns had seemed distant, and at least part of them felt they could trust some of what Aizen said.

"Wait, wait…" Starrk mumbled, eyeing them warily. "What are you saying? You mean the file Aizen needed from Karakura Inc. was for technology that was also stolen?"

"It would make little sense for Aizen-sama to steal information on a technology he created," Ulquiorra said calmly. "We do not know what the file contained, but Aizen-sama said it would be the difference between winning and losing the war. Originally, our development was meant to be his trump card. Now that does not seem to be the case."

"So it's true then," Nnoitra said, "Aizen really only needs himself. He is going to use the best technology personally."

"If we are right, it seems," Barragan agreed, "he will be using the complete device on himself. He will then possess enhancements far above our own, wouldn't he? Aizen first received enhancements from Soul Systems, and now he will possess even greater power."

"That is only if we are correct in our assumptions," Ulquiorra reminded them. It was nearly impossible at this stage to know the truth, but it gave them something to go by. If they could be on the look out, perhaps monitor Aizen as carefully yet safely as possible, they may be able to catch him before it was too late.

Szayel nodded wearily. "He is right. We cannot make any moves at this point without knowing more information. For now, we must be careful. We know there are explosives in play. Let us keep attentive."

The meeting was over. Their collective information had been discussed, and now they began filing out one by one.

Starrk however, caught him before he left. "It's good you two made up. She visits Lilynette, and she seemed pretty sad."

Ulquiorra did not reply and settled for simply looking at the taller man with a raised brow. Surely there was more than just that comment intended.

"She's going to be missed," he said, eyes darting away. "Lilynette will be upset, but I guess this is the way it should be. She doesn't really belong here."

Ulquiorra lowered his eyes. "Do not doubt her. I think she would say, in this case, that she belongs wherever she can help someone. I don't think she would regret befriending anyone here."

The taller man peered down curiously at Ulquiorra. "That does sound like her…" Then his face stretched in a grin. "Guess she really got to you, huh?"

Ulquiorra shot him a glare and turned away. "It is none of your business."

"Tell her good bye for us!" he called back down the hall. Somehow Ulquiorra knew he was still grinning.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Doing as she promised, Orihime had used the time alone to get ready for the day. She found that many of her things had been neatly tidied up while she was gone. Opening her closet, she found the uniforms that Ulquiorra had initially given to her. Since leaving, she had used clothing Harribel provided, but now she felt an odd attachment to the older clothes. The white dress lay out on her bed, but for now she stayed in her robe, wet hair trailing behind her.

Outside the window, the night sky hung darkly as it always did. With a sigh, she turned to the flying eye dubbed Shadow, and said, "I'd gotten used to seeing the sun again. Harribel-san keeps things set as they are naturally."

The eye watched her momentarily, before she saw the iris light up in glowing green. With a marveled expression, she looked towards the window. Was it just her, or was the velvety dark blue lightening?

She watched, mesmerized, as the sky changed. Soon pink hues were mixing in, and pale orange. The sun was rising for perhaps the first time in the 4th section. She beamed. Even if it wasn't real, it felt good for the light to return to a place that was kept so dark.

"Thank you!" she told the eye that had settled on her shoulder. Orihime stood, contently watching the sun come up for awhile. But when most of the dark colors had given way to the light, she found herself looking away and something caught her eye.

On the desk was the journal she had been writing in previously. She had missed it in her first days away but then had forgotten it after the twins began harassing her. It would have been nice to have, since she was left with so many conflicting thoughts and no one she felt safe telling about them. She opened it, looking through the pages of her varying emotions. It was like a rollercoaster; some days she could find happiness in the littlest things, while others severe lows. Sometimes the lows were due to things Ulquiorra had said, but they were always followed by reflection and better understanding. Nothing he did had been out of desire to hurt her but rather his own different view of things.

She flipped slowly through the pages, just looking. Not even half the journal had been used, but she had to admit it had been useful more than once. Soon she arrived to the last page she had written in, where she spoke of her decision to execute the mission fully to protect her friends, and where she decided to fight for Ulquiorra as well. Guilt struck her, knowing that, less than a day later, she had left him. A note at the bottom of the page caught her eye, and she realized right away it was not her hand writing.

When she read it, her heart fluttered excitedly.

_Because of the heart, I desire everything about you. _

Instantly, moisture swam into her eyes. Without a doubt, she knew the message was for her. He had written it out of his own desire, a testimony of what she meant to him.

There were footsteps on the stairs, and as she looked up she saw him enter, hands in pockets, his sinewy body somewhat bowed. Immediately she went to him, throwing her arms around him in a sudden embrace. He was surprised, she knew, by the hesitation he showed as she clung to him.

"What is the meaning of this, woman?" he asked as she pulled away.

She merely shook her head, a watery smile on her lips. "Nothing…just…_happy_."

He did not press her further, his hand idly sliding against her wet hair. Looking up, he realized the sun was now streaming through the window.

"How did you…" he began, but broke off as she pointed towards her shoulder.

"He did it for me. I hope you don't mind."

He supposed a change might be warranted, but soon he was reminded of the task at hand. "Woman, you need to change. We are leaving this place."

For a moment she was struck dumb, her mouth opening and closing. What had he just said?

Searching his eyes, she asked, "What?"

"We are leaving," he repeated, withdrawing his hand. The words were painful for him, he found, and he suddenly wished for the moments before the meeting. Back then, they had seemed to have so much time. Now it was all gone.

"W-where?" she stuttered, her mind not working correctly.

For a moment he didn't speak, his chest tightening painfully. Could he speak the words? His mouth seemed so dry now. How had he come to such a decision? But, looking into her eyes, knowing that he had so much he wished to defend, he regained the strength needed to continue.

"You are going home."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Sorry, kind of short chapter but it was a good breaking point before the next part. Added a bit more canon (Because of the heart...) Um, I love that poem so I can't be blamed! Next chapter will be...sad. Pepare yourself. Also, thank you to all the new reviewers. Please continue to tell me what you think!

Beta'd by a son of skyrim chu.

**Grimm-Inuoka004**: Aww, I love that fuzzy feeling. Glad you enjoyed it!

**nypsy**: Orihime is adorable, isn't she? And yes Ulquiorra is so used to just being by himself. He may have had physical experiences as Tokio, but that is a whole different life to him and this is done with actual heart. Huge difference.

**LadyWeirdessa**: Aww, haha, a little dance? Yeah, I try to make her reflect more so on the differences between Ulquiorra and Ichigo than just totally undermine those feelings. I mean, Ichigo is a nice guy. Her liking him isn't really a problem in itself. It's just that Ulquiorra gives her the attention Ichigo doesn't. Not to mention he desires her, hehe. Those are important things.

**RAHbooks**: Glad you enjoyed it! Hehe. :)

**Straightforward Guy**: OH YOU.

**anon**: I'm so glad you felt such warm fuzzies over the fluff :)

**Yolileep**: I know! I wanted that moment to be one where inwardly you are going, FINALLY. Because, yes, it needed to happen. So glad you liked it!

**Ehmi**: Thank you very much! I love the Espada/arrancar. I've really enjoyed writing them in this setting.

**Rin Sessys Girl**: :) The fangirl is strong with you, and that pleases me. Haha. I do enjoy mixing canon in with this story, because some things are too perfect to change. But I do think UlquiHime fans are a bit in limbo currently, waiting for Ulquiorra. I'm sure once he comes back the fandom will explode yet again! Thanks for your review!

-Miss Soupy


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